


Meandering Sword

by Mayor_Ravioli



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Felix will never escape being a little brother, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, He can run from it, I'm horrible at naming things, also Felix is defiantly going to be a dancer in this story, because nothing says siblings, but I didn't want to put too many tags, but he can never hide, in a way? - Freeform, like forcing your brother to participate in a dance competition for your own amusement, mercenary au, so I just put whose gonna be most important, there are more characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2020-09-05 21:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20280421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mayor_Ravioli/pseuds/Mayor_Ravioli
Summary: When you witness something horrible you have two choices to make. You can face these horrors, and live with the knowledge.Or you can run away, change your name, and accidentally get adopted into a family involving a famous mercenary and his emotionless daughter.Naturally, Felix, being the intelligent thirteen year old he is, chose the latter.AKA: An AU where Felix's mercenary ending for the non-Blue Lion routes happens nine (or more) years earlier.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was rewritten on 8/19/19

Felix didn’t know how long he had been running for. Had it only been a few minutes, hours? He hadn’t really been keeping track, instead only focusing on the idea, the thought of getting away. Far, far away. As far away from Dim- no… As far away from that beast as he possibly could. 

No, he didn’t know how long he had been running, nor did he really remember when he started. What he was aware of, however, was when he stopped. 

Coming to a sudden halt by a stream that still hadn’t been frozen from the harsh winters, Felix bent over. One of his hands pressing down as hard as it could against his stomach, while the other gripped his knee as he fought for breath. As his adrenaline began to fade, Felix soon found himself all too aware of one thing. And that was _ pain. _It seemed as though his entire body had been wrapped in the sensation as if it were a blanket. The wounds he had received, given to him by someone he had thought to be his friend, were horribly painful. And being thirteen, Felix was all too aware of how severe they were as well. At the edge of his mind, Felix couldn't help but muse over the fact that Glenn had died to save the person that would kill his brother.

A thought came to his mind then, and despite himself Felix felt a dry chuckle bubble past his lips. Barely even acknowledging the metallic taste on his tongue, as the blood that wept from the wound that tore his face bleed into his mouth. A small part of him wondering what would happen if he were to be found dead right there, next to that quaint stream far from the battlefield.

“He died a knight’s death.” That’s what Felix’s father had said when Glenn’s armor had been brought to them that day. He wondered what his father would say upon seeing his body. One son had died a knight, sacrificing his life to save that of the crown prince. And the other? The other had fallen far away from the battlefield he had fled from like a coward. Soaked in the blood weeping from wounds whose origins would never be said. Because son or not, if Felix's father learned who had done this he would let them go free.

It hurt, knowing his father cared for... Felix didn't know what he could consider him anymore, more than he ever did for his own child. But it was a fact that Felix had accepted many years ago, one that he never truly felt bitterness towards until now.

Well, if Felix was a coward for choosing life over being slaughtered by that... horrible beast, than he would accept that title. If he had died there, his father might’ve praised his death as well. And that very thought made Felix sick. There was nothing honorable about dying, no matter how it came to be. He would prefer the shame over a coward's death, than the praise of a knight's. 

At some point Felix collapsed to his knees, barely noticing the movement through the haze that began to cloud his mind. The only things his mind was able to process being the pain in his shoulder, his stomach, his face. He glanced down, moving the hand that was pressed down on his stomach away in morbid curiosity. He gasped as the lack of pressure seemed to break a damn. And he quickly pressed his hand down once more, his armor feeling wetter than it had before he had removed it. 

His breath was coming out in short gasps by then, the blood from the wound that slashed his face in two falling into his eye and into his mouth. He couldn't hear anything save for his heartbeat pounding harshly in his ears. And... the sound of rustling. 

Blearily, Felix looked up the sound of two footfalls nearing the small little clearing he had chosen for his deathbed. 

And then... there were two people in front of him. When had they come in? Felix honestly didn't remember seeing them near him, all he could see was the man. Large with a scared face in front of him, a look of concern as a gentle hand grabbed one shoulder while a stronger one pressed into his injured one. And behind him was a girl, with large doe like blue eyes that had a strange, far off look to them. 

"Kid, hey, are you listening?" 

Felix looked away from the girl to train his eyes onto the man. But despite his best efforts he couldn't focus too long onto him. 

"Damnnit," The man swore, "Look, you have to stay with me, alright?" 

Some sort of sound fell past Felix's lips as he felt the man's arms move. One wrapping around his shoulders, while the other one moved to his knees. With a grunt the man stood, cradling Felix in his arms as if he weighed nothing. Felix's head flopped over to rest against the man's chest, with him having no strength to keep it lifted. In the back of his mind, Felix could hear the man speaking, most likely to that girl he was with. But whatever the words were he couldn't find himself able to process them, the only thing he could do was let his eyes slip closed as he let the darkness embrace him.

* * *

When Felix next awoke he was in considerably less pain that he had been before. That wasn’t to say he wasn’t in pain, the throbbing of his wounds made sure he was very much aware of them, but it was a definite improvement from before. Especially since knew he was aware of where he was. 

It was some sort of room, the walls made from wood while the candles barely offered any lighting. It was also very… empty. A small table, a small closet, it was nothing like what Felix was used to seeing.

“You’re finally awake.” 

Felix blinked, sitting up quicker than he should of as he was punished with a sharp throb of pain. The furs that had been carefully wrapped around him falling from his shoulders.

“Whoa, hey,” A hand pressed down against Felix’s good shoulder, and his body gave up no fight against it as he collasped against the pillows. “Don’t strain yourself, kid.” 

“Where… Where am I?” Felix groaned, moving a hand to press against his throbbing head.

“Lilgrove Village.” The man told him, leaning back in his chair. “The real question is, what happened to you? Those were some pretty nasty wounds, if we hadn’t gotten to you when we did you would’ve died.” 

“I-” Felix groaned, closing his eyes as one of his wound suddenly throbed oh so painfully. The image of demon’s frenzy shining in familiar eyes flashing against his eyelids. “I was attacked… By a beast.” 

“I see…” The man mused, “Can you tell me where your parents are?”

“Dead.” The lie slipped out before Felix could even think about saying it. 

“Any other family?”

“Also dead.” Well, that one was half a lie. Glenn was dead, though his uncle was still alive. 

“Of course they are, well I suppose-”

The door creaked open, and both the man and Felix looked over to watch as the girl from earlier let herself in.

“Byleth, what are you doing?” The man sighed, standing from his chair.

The girl shrugged, her blank stare landing on Felix. “You’re alive.” She said, no emotion in her tone as she spoke. 

“You could say that.” Felix answered back, watching with curiosity as the man walked over towards the girl. He wondered if that man was her father, he certainly did act fatherly. The way Felix had seen King Lambert interact with Dimitri before they had died. 

Because Dimitri had to be dead, the real Dimitri would have never done something like that. 

Right?

“What’s going to happen to him?”

The girl’s voice broke Felix from his thoughts, and his eyes snapped open as he gazed towards the two. He supposed now would be a good time to pay attention to their conversation, especially since it concerned his future.

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” The man admitted, looking over to meet Felix’s eyes. 

Felix supposed he wasn’t making things easy on this man, a small part of him feeling a bit guilty at that thought. The man had saved his life after all, and here Felix was. Lying straight through his teeth at every question posed towards him. 

The girl hummed at that thought, before he made his way over towards him. Her blue eyes sweeping over his form, before she opened her mouth, “Can you fight?”

“Yes.” Felix answered, of course he could. He had been taught how to wield a sword before he had been taught to write his own name. He always prided himself in his ability, and even his instructor mentioned that Felix was far more advanced than most children his age. (Though he was never able to best Glenn.)

“There.” The girl turned back towards the man, “He can join us.” 

The man groaned, “Byleth, you know that we can’t just let some random brat we found in the woods join us.”

“Why not?” The girl, Byleth, questioned, “He’d probably do a better job fighting than some of the people in our company.” 

Fighting?

“What do you do?” Felix interrupted, the girl’s words giving Felix an idea on what he was to do next.

“We’re… Mercenaries.” The man explained, looking over towards Felix. “It’s a rough business, kid.”

Yes, that was something Felix knew. Mercenaries, who were comissioned by the rich to fight and to kill. Mercenaries traveled from place to place, going all over Fodlan, as they fought. As they grew stronger. 

With none of that dumb chivalry stuff holding them back. 

“I wouldn’t mind… Joining you that is.” Felix decided, pulling himself back up to the seating position. Doing it slowly this time to keep from hurting himself. And before the man could interupt he added, “Besides, you saved my life. The least I could do is try and pay you back.”

The man stared at him for a long time, before he let out a very dramatic sigh. “Alright. Fine, you can come with us.”

“Thank you!” Felix smiled.

“However, if you’re going to be traveling with us, I’m going to need your name.” The man told him.

Ah… Right. His name.

“It’s-” Felix froze, his name… right. He hadn’t thought that far ahead, and with new circumstances if was something he couldn’t take lightly. Mercenaries lived to be paid in a way, if they found out Felix’s true identity… well, no one with half a brain would pass up the opportunity to gain both money and favor from a house as powerful as House Fraldarius. 

“Please tell me you didn’t forget your own name?” The man sighed, eyeing Felix with suspicion.

“No!” Felix swallowed, wincing at how loud his voice had been. “My name… it’s…” Felix’s mind frantically searched to try and find a name to call himself. Hoping to find one that would fit before the man would grow too suspicious to allow Felix to stay. “It’s… Lon’qu!” Felix blinked in surprise when the name left his lips. The slightest bit startled by the name he had suddenly chose for himself.

Lon’qu… it was a name Felix had heard from the stories Glenn used to tell him. Well, technically one could argue it was a history lesson, but it was a story nonetheless. The story of a war that plagued two nations, in which one of the heroes was called Lon’qu. He was a skilled swordsman by all accounts, stoic, though with an odd fear of woman. The way Glenn had described the soldier… In a way the description had reminded Felix of his brother, and so the name had stayed in the back of his mind since. 

“Lon’qu, hmm?” The man hummed as he eyed Felix. “Well, if that’s what you say your name is I have no reason to argue. Though I suppose some might say it’s rude to ask for a name without giving one. My name is Jeralt,” the mercenary introduced himself, “And this here is my daughter, Byleth.”

The girl in question simply nodded, the expression on her face never changing as she stared. It was the slightest bit unnerving, but… Felix’s shoulder throbbed as his mind reminded him of something much more horrifying than the blank look of a girl. 

“As a mercenary you’re going to be expected to fight.” Jeralt informed him, “Just because you’re a kid doesn’t mean you’re going to get out of it, so you better be good with a blade.”

Felix swallowed, mercenaries… Taking a deep breath, he confirmed, “I am.”

“Alright then, once you’re all healed up we’ll introduce you to the rest of the company. But before then, get some rest, alright kid?”

And with that Jeralt and Byleth left, leaving Felix… No, Lon’qu alone with his thoughts. 

* * *


	2. Four Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years after joining Jeralt's mercenary crew the now named Lon'qu's past is beginning to catch up to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone that's been showing interest in this story!  
Admittedly, I was a bit worried that people wouldn't be for the idea, but I'm glad my worries were for not! Especially the fact that people like the idea of Felix and Byleth becoming siblings, since when I first had this idea I had two routes I was thinking of. One was Felix basically getting adopted by Jeralt, (AKA what you got) and the other was him becoming a lone mercenary. In that route he would've gotten to the Officer's Academy by being sponsered by someone in the Empire. Leading him to be in the Black Eagles house. I chose the idea that seemed easier to write, though I'm probably still gonna make him and Dorothea friends.  
Also this was originally going to be longer, but A) I have something I want to get started on and B) Five pages seemed long enough to me.

Lon’qu was already up before the first rays of dawn rose over the horizon. Quickly throwing on his armor, completing the outfit with a large hooded cape, Lon’qu grabbed his sword. Putting the weapon away in the shief that hung at his hips, he began to quietly make his way towards one of the other beds in the room. Careful to not be too loud, though he doubted he could really be heard over Jeralt’s loud snores, Lon’qu began to shake the bed’s occupant.

“Byleth… Byleth!”

The girl in question groaned, her blue eyes opening. When her gaze fell upon Lon’qu her eyes slightly narrowed, which he found as a win in his book. Getting Byleth to express any type of emotion was rare, so even seeing her expressing the slightest bit of annoyance was a win. 

“What?”

“Spar with me?” Lon’qu asked without a moment’s hesitation.

Stepping back, Lon’qu watched as Byleth sat up. Rubbing some of the sleep away from her eyes. She glared at him from over her knuckles, before lowering her hands with a sigh.

“Why did I talk Father into letting you stay with us?” She muttered, throwing off her blanket.

“Because you’re a fool.” Lon’qu answered helpfully.

Byleth spared him a glance before she pulled herself from the bed. As she got dressed Lon’qu gained very intense interest in one of the room’s dusty corners. Being a mercenary, having privacy was usually wishful thinking. Especially with such a large company as the one they traveled with, but that didn't stop Lon'qu from feeling a bit awkward whenever Byleth went to get dressed.

“Let’s go.” Byleth announced, grabbing her sword as she began to walk to the door. Lon’qu trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

When they left the inn, the beginning of dawn was just approaching.

“So…” Lon’qu began as they walked, “Were you having any of those dreams of yours?” He had become well aware of Byleth's dreams, she would either dream of a battlefield where two armies fought desperately against each other in war. While the other was of a sassy young woman with a strange almost godly appearance. 

Byleth shrugged, pulling her sword out as the two got into position. “It was the girl.” She answered.

Lon’qu hummed, pulling out his own sword.

They stood there for a moment, in complete stillness, before Lon’qu moved. 

The sound of metal rang through the air as their swords clashed. Lon’qu noticed as Byleth’s eyes darkened, all of her concentration turning to their fight. And it showed, as Byleth was able to counter every move that Lon’qu made with ease. Barely breaking a sweat while he was soaked in it.

Though, Lon’qu was proud to say that it took near fifteen minutes before his sword clattered to the ground.

Breathing heavily, Lon’qu smiled as he stared down at it. Before he looked to Byleth, “I’m getting closer to beating you.”

Briefly, Lon’qu could see Byleth’s lips twitch into what could’ve been considered a smile. “Dream on.”

“There you two are.”

Lon’qu and Byleth’s heads snapped over to the newcomer.

“Father.” Byleth greeted as she shiefed her sword.

“Jeralt.” Lon’qu acknowledged as he put his own sword away. 

“It’s a good thing you two are already up,” Jeralt hummed as he eyed them, “Did you actually remember what I told you last night?”

“Remember what?” Byleth questioned while Lon'qu just gave the man a blank expression. Which told him the exact answer to his question.

“Are you saying you only got up this early to fight each other?”

“Yes.” Both Byleth and Lon’qu answered in unison. 

Jeralt sighed, “Well get your stuff together, we have a job we need to start heading towards.”

Lon’qu and Byleth nodded, and they were about to head back to the inn when one of the mercenaries in their party came running up to them.

“Captain Jeralt!”

“What now?” The man groaned, as he looked towards the newcomer.

“Your presence is needed!”

“Of course it is,” Jeralt shook his head, “Well, you heard him, let’s see what’s going on.”

As the man began to lead them to wherever they were going, Lon’qu reached behind him to pull up his hood. Hiding his face beneath the fur that rimmed it. 

The hood was a precaution that he always took just in case he happened to run into anyone from his old life. He had explained years ago to Jeralt that he hid his face due to the awful scar that split his face in two. Jeralt had laughed at that explanation, ruffling Lon'qu's hair as he muttered something about how vain children are nowadays. Normally Lon'qu would be offended by something like that, but in that moment he hadn't really cared. He hated lying to Jeralt, but he just couldn't take the risk. At this point, he really couldn't see himself returning to his old life, so he would do anything to make sure he couldn't. 

But in the four years Lon’qu has spent with the mercenaries, he never ran into anyone from his past. A fact he was not only thankful for, but one he hoped would never change. Though he didn't see why it wouldn't, he really couldn't see anyone from his past hiring a band of mercenaries. 

* * *

CRAP.

Lon’qu kept a death grip onto his hood, keeping his head down as he shifted awkwardly behind Jeralt. He could only imagine how he looked, probably like some small child that hid behind their mothers skirts when they were forced to meet with strangers. (Or in his case, some small child that hit behind their brother or older friend's legs.) But in that moment, Lon'qu really didn't care how his actions looked to anyone. There was something that was more important.

Of everyone he had once known, why did it have to be that… creature?

His shoulder throbbed in pain, as if he needed a reminder of what had happened last time he had seen the beast. And so, he tried to make himself as unnoticeable as possible, ignoring the glances Byleth would shoot his way. 

“Pardon the intrusion, but we wouldn’t have come it it wasn’t dire.” The creature spoke in a way that he could be mistaken for a normal human. But Lon'qu knew the truth, knew it all too well.

“What do you kids want?” Jeralt demanded, his eyes briefly flickering towards the still rising sun, the next question unasked.

“We’re being chased by a gang of bandits.” The beast continued, “We were hoping to find someone to lend us aid.”

“Bandits?” Jeralt questioned, “What are bandits doing here?”

“They attacked us while we were camped nearby,” The girl answered, the cape she wore over one shoulder a bright red.

“We were separated from our companions during the attack.” The last member of the group informed them, this one had a cape much like the girl, only colored yellow. “They’re after our lives, not to mention our gold.”

“I’m impressed that you three are staying so ca- Wait…” Jeralt frowned as he eyed down the last boy. “That uniform…”

“Captain, bandits have been spotted outside the village!” One of their mercenaries said as he ran up, “Damn… there’s a lot of them.”

“I guess we have no choice,” Jeralt sighed, “Let’s get going.”

* * *

The soldier wasn’t kidding when he said there was a lot of bandits outside the village. Still keeping his head down, Lon’qu kept a death grip on his sword. Peeking around the fur of his hood, he kept an eye on the beast. Someone had to, in case it decided to go feral again. Lon'qu refused to let that thing harm anyone else, especially Byleth and Jeralt. 

“Alright,” Jeralt said as he assessed the situation. “Let’s take out the bandits out front first, that should take the wind out of their sails. Lon’qu I want you and Yellow to take out the bandits to the left. Blue and Red, you two go right while Byleth and I will get the ones in the center. Got it?”

After everyone gave confirmation to their orders they started off into the battle. Lon'qu just feeling glad he wasn't paired off with that creature, though on the other hand Yellow wasn't all too much better. 

“So, what’s with that hood?” Yellow asked as he and Lon’qu began to sneak off into the direction they were given.

“What’s it to you?” Lon’qu snapped, as he came across his first bandit. His blade sliced the man open, while an arrow quickly finished the job. 

“Well, it’s not winter,” Yellow explained as he trotted over to the fallen enemy to pull his arrow out of his neck. “So you can’t be wearing it for warmth. Logically that could only mean you want to hide your face.”

“Do you always make pointless small talk during battle?” Lon’qu sneered, as they found a larger clutter of bandits. Finding a slower one, Lon’qu was able to take that one down with two quick slices of his sword. 

“So I’m right!” Yellow said, “Who’d you kill?” He smirked over towards Lon’qu as he shot an arrow towards one of the bandits. Quickly dodging the blade of another as Lon’qu rushed in to take the bandit out.

“You if you don’t shut up.” Lon’qu growled.

“Touchy,” Yellow laughed. 

Luckily, Yellow decided to take a hint after that and the two fell into silence where the only sounds were clashing blades and the sound of dying screams. It would’ve been unnerving if Lon’qu hadn’t grown used to it by then. 

When they finally broke through to the center of the battlefield, they were greeted by the sight of Byleth taking out the leader of the bandits. 

The man fell with a thud as Red and the beast pushed through.

“Looks like that takes care of things.” Jeralt nodded, “Though it is concerning that those bandits were here in the first place.”

“Thank you for your assistance,” the beast said, smiling at Jeralt. “We would’ve been done for if you hadn’t been here.”

Jeralt opened his mouth to say something, but suddenly the bandit leader leapt to his feet. No one had time to move as he lifted his axe, running over to Red.

No one, save Byleth. 

Lon’qu winced as his stomach suddenly turned, and Byleth ran in front of the girl. Lifting her sword, she blocked the man’s axe from hitting Red. The strength of the counter being strong enough to cause the man to go flying backwards towards his men. (Personally Lon'qu didn't understand how _that _worked, but it wasn't his problem.) 

With the man out of the way, Lon’qu started off towards Byleth and Red. Yellow, and Blue following his example. He watched as the girl gave Byleth a thankful look, quickly tucking away the knife she had pulled out to counter the man’s attack. 

“Well, I suppose that’s that.” Jeralt said as he met up with them as well. 

“Halt you villains!”

The group jumped, and spun around as a group of knights came into view. Led by a tall man clad in, what Lon’qu would consider, a bit too much armor. 

“Oh no…” Jeralt groaned, “Why _ him _of all people?”

“We shall stop you from terrorizing…” The man in armor stopped as he watched the bandits flee from the scene. During the commotion of his arrival the leader must’ve gotten up. “Hey, those thieves are running away, after them!.” After the knights with him ran off after the bandits, he chuckled as he walked towards them, his eyes landing on the three strangers. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with them he directed his attention towards Jeralt. Suddenly his eyes widened, “Captain Jeralt?” His face split in an ear-to-ear grin, “That is you, isn’t it? Why, I haven’t seen you in twenty years! Don’t you recognize me? It’s me, Alois! You’re old right-hand man, well… At least that’s what I’ve always called myself anyways.” He shook his head, that smile never leaving his face. “I always knew you were still alive!”

“As annoying as ever, aren’t you?” Jeralt sighed, “Drop that Captain nonsense, I’m not your captain anymore. I’m just a wandering mercenary, that has work to do. Goodbye, old friend.” 

Alois sighed, “Right. I suppose this is good- Wait! I’m not going to let it end like that. You must come back to the monastery with me!” 

“Gareg Mach Monastery…” Jeralt sighed, “I suppose this had to happen eventually.” 

“And what about you, kid?” Alois asked, directing his question towards Byleth. “Are you the Captain’s daughter?” 

“I’m a bandit.” Byleth answered, which gained her a laugh from the overly excitable man.

“Great sense of humor this one, you and the captain are really cut from the same cloth, huh?” It was then that his eyes landed on Lon’qu, “And you? Are you also the Captain’s ch-”

“That’s enough, Alois.” Jeralt interrupted, “Do you make a habit out of questioning everyone you meet?” 

“Only when they're with my dear old Captain!" Alois responded, "Well, in that case, the two of you should come to the monastery as well! You will come, won’t you?” 

Byleth nodded.

“What’s troubling you, Captain?” Alois asked as he noticed the solemn expression on Jeralt’s face. “You aren’t going to run away again, are you?”

Jeralt shook his head, “I know better than to run away from the Knights of Serios. Let’s go.” 

* * *

Despite Jeralt’s earlier dislike of Alois, on the way to the monastery he and the knight were speaking with one another. Looking as though the two of them were on friendly terms with one another. It was pretty strange, though Lon’qu figured it was nothing to worry about. 

Byleth on the other hand…

Lon’qu spared a glance behind him, watching as Byleth chatted with the three kids they had helped. Despite himself, Lon’qu couldn’t help but let out a low growl when he noticed the beast get a little too close to her. Lon’qu knew that she would be able to handle herself when that beast eventually decided to show its true colors, but that didn’t mean that he wanted it anywhere near her. 

“Lon’qu.” 

Jerking his head back, he inwardly folding in on himself when he noticed Jeralt looking back at him with a strange expression.

“Yes?”

Jeralt kept his eyes on him for a second longer, before he leaned over to whisper something to Alois. Falling back, Jeralt went into step with Lon’qu, keeping his voice low as he began to speak.

“Look, Kid. Once we get the monastery things… They’re going to change, but there are secrets that need to stay hidden. And I’m going to need you to help me keep them that way.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Remember how I interrupted Alois from asking if you were my kid?”

Lon’qu nodded, he had a feeling he already knew what Jeralt was going to ask of him.

“I did that for a reason, from now on, as far as anyone is concerned you are my kid.”

“How is that going to hide your secrets?” Lon’qu questioned.

“If people think that you are Byleth are related…” Jeralt shook his head, “That’s not important, and besides it’s not like much is going to change. All I need you to do is call me Father, alright?”

Lon’qu nodded, “Alright.” 

“And the next thing is, I’m going to need you to always have that hood of yours up.” Jeralt informed him, “I know you were probably going to do that anyways, but you don’t look enough like myself nor Byleth to convince people that we’re blood related.”

“I can do that.” Lon’qu confirmed, though admittedly Jeralt didn’t need to ask him for that. With the beast around, there was no way that Lon’qu could allow anyone to see his face. And besides, if the beast was at the monastery, then there was the chance that Sylvain and Ingrid were there as well. And if word got out that he was there, then that led to the chance that Rodrigue would find out.

And Lon’qu could not let that happen.


	3. Enrollment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lon'qu is really starting to think the world is out to get him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need to start making these chapters longer, because the longer the chapters the sooner I can get to Miklan. And man do I have some ideas for that.  
Also, a quick warning for a bit of harsh language. Lon'qu gets angry.

“There it is… Gareg Mach Monastery.” Jeralt sighed once they broke free of the forest.

In front of them was a large building that almost looked like a castle. It was quite impressive looking, looking even bigger than the castle in Fhirdiad, if that was even possible. 

As they neared the monastery, Lon’qu noticed that there was a balcony right above the entrance, and standing on that balcony was a woman. While it was hard to see her, he was able to pick out her bright green hair. 

“Lady Rhea.” Jeralt mumbled, his voice sounding quite a bit bitter as he stared up towards her. 

“C’mon, let’s keep those feet moving!” Alois interrupted, grabbing Jeralt by his shoulders. “I’m sure the Archbishop will want to see both you and the kids!” 

“It’s been years since I’ve seen this place…” Jeralt shook his head as they were led away, “To be forced to see her now.” 

“You’ve been here before?” Byleth asked, jogging up to them when the primary gang ran off to wherever they needed to go. 

“Years ago, I never told you about it but I used to be a knight.”

“A knight?” Lon’qu repeated, the word tasting foul on his tongue. 

“I used to report to the Archbishop, Lady Rhea.” 

“Who’s Lady Rhea?” Byleth questioned.

“Well, as you know most of those that live in Fodlan are followers of the teachings of Seiros. The leader of that religious organization is Lady Rhea.” 

“Well, here we are!” Alois announced as he lead them to a pair of large, impressive doors. “I’ll go in first to inform Lady Rhea of your arrival, don’t run off on me now. Ha ha!” Aloise laughed as if he made a joke, before he pushed open the doors.

“We’re going to be late for our job, aren’t we?” Byleth asked, crossing her arms as she studied the door.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get to that job.” Jeralt admitted, “Which reminds me we need to-” 

The doors opened again, and Alois beamed at them. “Come on in, the Archbishop is waiting for you!”

They walked through the doors, finding the woman who was on the balcony alongside a man with darker green hair. 

“Here they are!” Alois exclaimed once they were inside.

“Yes, thank you Alois.” The green haired man said, “You’re excused.”

“Right-o!” Alois nodded, before he turned and left.

“Welcome to Gareg Mach Monastery,” The green haired man spoke, “I am Seteth, the Archbishop's adviser.”

“Right. Hello.” Jeralt nodded, looking very disinterested in the conversation. 

“It has been a long time, Jeralt.” Rhea smiled, “I wonder… was it the will of the Goddess that you have returned to us?”

“Forgive me for my silence all these years, much has happened since we last spoke.” Jeralt informed her.

“I see. It appears the gift of fatherhood has blessed you.” Rhea smiled as she turned her eyes towards Byleth. Her gaze looked… hungry. “These are your children, are they not?”

Jeralt nodded, “Yes, born many years after I left this place. I would introduce you to their mother, but… I’m afraid we lost her to illness.”

“I see, my condolences for your lost.” Rhea said, her gaze never leaving Byleth. It was a bit unnerving, and subconsciously Lon’qu found himself taking a step towards her. “I must thank you for your efforts in saving our dear students, now tell me. What is your name?”

“...”

“You should at least show the common courtesy of introducing yourself to the Archbishop!” Seteth snapped, glaring at Byleth for her silence. “Your silence is horribly rude.” 

“It is alright, Seteth.” Rhea smiled, “Perhaps I should introduce myself? I am Lady Rhea, the Archbishop of the Church of Seiros. In truth I was only being polite. I already know your name, Byleth.” Her lips twitched as she said the name. “Now, Jeralt, surely you already know what I’m going to ask of you.”

Jeralt nodded, “You’re going to ask me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros. I won’t say no, but…”

“Your apprehension stings, but I expected for Alois to have already asked this of you.” Rhea hummed, “Now, I do have other things that are in need of my attention, but first… Lon’qu, correct?”

Starting when Rhea’s attention turned towards him, Lon’qu swallowed, “Yes?”

“You will come with me, there are matters involving you that need attending to.” Rhea told him, before she walked past them with Seteth following close to her heels.

Lon’qu looked over at Jeralt.

“It’s best not to keep Lady Rhea waiting.” Jeralt sighed, as he met Lon’qu’s eyes. “Go on, just… be careful. I don’t know what she’s planning, but whatever it is… I have a feeling that it can’t be good.” 

Lon’qu nodded, before he chased after Lady Rhea.

* * *

“Lon’qu, have you ever heard of the Officer’s Academy?” Rhea asked as they walked down the halls. 

Instinctively, Lon’qu nodded at Lady Rhea’s question. Of course he had heard of the Officer’s Academy. His brother, Glenn, had gone to the school. He had actually been one of the youngest, if not the youngest person ever accepted at the Academy. Having been invited when he was only fourteen years old. Rodrigue had been so pleased with that fact, and would brag to anyone who would listen about Glenn’s accomplishments.

Figures that the only time that old man would spare his children a thought was when it made him look good.

“Lon’qu?”

Rhea turned her head to look back at him, and Lon’qu realized that she hadn’t seen his nod. Which, as it hit him then, was a good thing. There was absolutely no reason why Jeralt’s child would’ve heard of the Officer’s Academy. He already admitted that he had never told Byleth of his time at the monastery, so why would he have mentioned the Officer’s Academy?

“No, I haven’t.” 

“Hmm… I suppose Jeralt wouldn’t have told you.” Rhea hummed as she turned her head back around. “Well the Officer’s Academy is a school where commoners and nobles from all over Fodlan come to learn. Being enrolled in this school is something to be proud of.”

“Okay… Why are you telling me this?” Lon’qu questioned.

“Well, we just so happen to have an opening for the Academy.” Rhea told him, “And since you’ll be staying here for an unknown amount of time I decided to enroll you.”

“You… what?” Lon’qu came to a sudden stop, which Rhea must have been expecting as she stopped as well. Turning so that she was facing Lon’qu fully. With Seteth doubling back to stand next to her. 

“Is something the matter?” Rhea asked, “Surely you must understand how rare of an opportunity this is. You shouldn’t pass a chance like this up.” 

While her face was kind, Lon’qu couldn’t help but think back to what Jeralt had said to him earlier. _ She’s planning something. _She couldn’t be offering this to him to be kind, no… There was something she was hoping to gain by putting him into this school.

“No... “ Lon’qu shifted, “Just… why are you offering it to me?”

“Jeralt is a very dear friend to me,” Rhea explained, “Why wouldn’t I offer his own child a good education in return for his services?”

“But what about Byleth?” Lon’qu asked. 

“I have other plans for her.” Rhea informed him, before she turned to Seteth. “Please take Lon’qu to get his measurements taken, and then introduce him to his classmates.” 

Seteth bowed, “Of course, Lady Rhea.” 

* * *

Getting his measurements taken for some uniform was tedious at best, and pointless at worst. While he did remember, back when he was a child and living a noble's life, the process of getting fitted for outfits. That still didn’t mean he cared for it, especially since learning how quick clothing shopping was when you were just buying premade outfits. Really, getting fitted was quite bothersome. 

The seamstress was a chatty woman, though Lon’qu noticed how every-so-often she would glare up towards the hood that he had refused to remove. Frankly, he didn’t understand her dislike, it wasn’t as though the hood was blocking anything too important. It was just his face, after all. Well, his neck and shoulders were covered too, but Lon'qu didn't see why that would be a problem. 

After the fitting, the woman promising to send his new uniforms to his room, and with the subject change Seteth brought Lon’qu to the dormitory so that he could be shown where his new room was to be.

“Normally,” The man began to explain as they walked up the stairs, “The second floor is where the students of nobility are housed. However, the only room we have available is up here. I did suggest trying to get Bernadetta, who actually is a noble, to move up here, but Lady Rhea insisted that this room go to you.”

Pushing open the door, Seteth stepped back to allow Lon’qu to step into his new quarters. It was a rather nice looking room, not as fancy as the room he had back when he was a noble, but still nicer than anywhere he had slept since becoming a mercenary. The room was nicely decorated, accented with blue. 

“I would allow you the chance to settle in,” Seteth began, causing Lon’qu’s head to snap over towards him. “But it is best if you’re introduced to your new classmates before a Professor is assigned to the house.” The man turned, and began to walk away without waiting for a response, “Come along, now.” 

And, having no choice, Lon’qu hurried off after him.

Leaving the dormitories, Seteth lead him across the grounds to a courtyard. To one side of the courtyard there was a building with three doors, each section decorated with a colored flag. Red, blue, and yellow. It hit Lon’qu then that those were the same colors that the students they had met during the bandit attack had been wearing. The girl had been in the red, that talkative man had been in yellow, and...

No.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Lon’qu could do nothing but watch in horror as Seteth led him past the door decorated with red, before coming to a stop in front of the one decorated in blue. 

This couldn’t be happening. This _ could not _be happening.

“This is the classroom for the Blue Lions,” Seteth explained as he pushed open the doors, “Where you have been assigned.”

It was at that moment Lon’qu realized that the world was most certainly out to get him.

While he didn’t want to, Lon’qu took a deep breath and followed after Seteth into the classroom. The man stepping aside to keep the door open for Lon’qu before he let it shut behind him.

All of the students that were in the room turned from whatever they were doing to look over towards the intruders that had entered their classroom.

There were quite a few people Lon’qu didn’t recognize. There were two girls, one with bright orange hair held up in circular pigtails, and the other with long pale blonde hair that was pulled over her shoulder and tied together with a bow. There were two boys he also didn’t recognize. One extremely tall, with dark skin and white hair. It was obvious where that man was from, Duscur… The place where Glenn had died. The other had grey hair, with a pale yet freckled complexion, who was looking up towards them from a book with a painfully familiar cover. 

As for the other people in the room… That shock of bright red hair could only belong to one person, the person whose promise Lon’qu had selfishly broken long ago. Sylvain. And next to him with a girl with long golden blonde hair, her green eyes bright and proud. Ingrid. 

And then there was...

“Ah, Seteth.” The beast smiled as he made his way over, the man from Duscur trailing after him. “What a pleasant surprise,” The familiar blue eyes turned to look towards him, “Oh! And Lon’qu as well, I wasn’t expecting to see you again. What a pleasant surprise.”

Lon’qu scowled as his name left the beast’s lips, his hands clenched so tightly he was surprised that he wasn’t drawing blood. 

“Lady Rhea has seen fit to enroll Lon’qu into the Academy.” Seteth explained, and Lon’qu noted how the beast’s eyes seemed to widen in surprise at that announcement. “He’s to be put into your house.” 

“Really?” The beast seemed to perk at that announcement, before he gave Lon’qu his full attention, “How wonderful, I’m sure you’ll lo-”

“Are you sure there isn’t an opening somewhere else?” Lon’qu interrupted, his eyes flickering over all of the students. His gaze landing longer on the familiar faces. “Literally anywhere else?”

The beast blinked in surprise, faltering for a moment, before a false smile spread across his face. “Well, I’ll have you know Lon’qu that the Blue Lion house is the finest this school has to offer.” The way he spoke made it seem like this was a speech the beast had prepared and spoken many times before. “We all fight for justice, for the weak that aren’t able to fight for themselves. And we value chivalry above all else!”

**Chivalry. **

_ He died like a true knight. _

“_Fuck _your chivalry.” Lon’qu sneered.

The beast took a step back, clearly not expecting such a hostile reaction. The other students in the classroom began to murmur to themselves, though Lon’qu very much didn’t care what they thought of him. 

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Lon’qu continued, taking a step forward as he glared at the beast, still keeping his head down so that his face couldn’t be seen past the fur. “I said _ fuck your chivalry. _ Damn it to Hell! Anyone who celebrates that type of nonsense is a _ fool. _A dead man walking, because the only thing chivalry is good for is sending people to their early graves!” 

_ “Lon’qu.” _

He took a step back, glancing over towards Seteth who was looking down towards him a rather… strange expression. 

“You should take care not to make enemies with your classmates so quickly.” Seteth warned him. “I shall leave you be, your assigned professor should be here soon. I better not hear about you starting any fights.”

And so, Seteth turned and walked out of the classroom. The door shutting swiftly after his retreating figure. 

Having no other choice, Lon’qu growled out a heavy sigh. Before he began to walk further into the classroom, pointedly shoving his shoulder into the beast's. The man from Duscur took a step forward, though the beast held him back from doing anything. “Out of my way,_ Boar. _” He sneered, before he found a desk to throw himself down in. Crossing his arms across his chest as he sat, glaring harshly at polished desktop.

This was just his luck.


	4. Classroom Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his little outburst, the only thing Lon'qu has left to do is wait until he can figure out the best way out of the Blue Lion house.  
Unfortuntely, Byleth has decided that's not going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Important Notice: The Prologue has been rewritten, please go reread that before continuing with this chapter!

After his outburst Lon’qu wasn’t expecting any of his new classmates to want to talk to him. Something he definitely had no problems with, as he wanted nothing to do with them. Yet, the sound of a chair scraping against the floor filled his ears, and despite himself Lon’qu glanced up. A hand pulling down on his hood, that was becoming more and more necessary as time went on, and watched as the last person he expected to speak to him sat down across from him.

“Lon’qu, right?” Ingrid asked, not waiting for him to answer as she continued, “I’m Ingrid.”

Lon’qu resisted the sudden urge to swear under his breath, and instead managed to choke out; “Am I supposed to care?”

<strike> Because I do. </strike>

“I suppose not,” She shrugged, “Though you did make quite the first impression.”

“So you’re here to reprimand me about it?” Lon’qu asked, his mind recalling his days of childhood. Of all the trouble he and Sylvain would get into, while Ingrid chased after them to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid. And to yell at them when they did. She also always had her face stuck into one of those knightly tales, if there was anyone who would’ve been angered by his little… Outburst, it most certainly would be her.

“No. To be honest, I found myself agreeing with you.”

…

What.

“Excuse me?” Lon’qu winced when his voice broke on those words, because this was Ingrid.  _ Ingrid.  _ The girl who has been dreaming about becoming a knight, consuming the tales with the same hunger she had when it came to sweets. And she… agreed with him?

“Of course, I wouldn’t have phrased it the way you did, but you did make a good point.” She sighed, frowning down at the desk. “I used to share those childish beliefs about chivalry as well, but… Dying heroically or not, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re dead. I learned that the hard way.”

Lon’qu felt his mouth go dry, “What… what do you mean?”

If Ingrid saw anything strange in Lon’qu’s questions she didn’t say anything about it. Instead she opened her mouth to speak, and-

“Good evening children.”

Everyone’s heads swiveled towards the door, anyone who was seated scrambled to their feet. Well, almost everyone, Lon’qu chose to stay seated. His eyes focused on the woman standing behind her.

“Lady Rhea,” The beast greeted, giving the woman a bow, when he stood to his full height his eyes landed on the figure behind the Archbishop. “Oh! It’s you.”

Lady Rhea and the newcomer came into the room, a familiar set of blue eyes sweeping the room. Coming to a stop in him.

“This here is Professor Byleth,” Lady Rhea explained, sweeping her arm towards Byleth, “She’s the professor that will be in charge of your house. I pray you all give her a warm welcome, I must be off.” 

And with those words Lady Rhea left.

“Wait” The orange haired girl cried, “You’re to be our new Professor? Oh no, but I treated you so casually before, as if we were companions! I’m so so  _ so  _ sorry Professor!”

“I don’t mind if you treat me like a friend.” Byleth responded with a shrug.

“You say that, but… Oh, I have no idea how to respond to all of this!”

“I admit that I must agree.” The beast said, “The idea of not giving you the respect you deserve does not sit well with me.”

“If the Professor says it’s okay, why shouldn’t it be?” Sylvain asked, casually resting his hands behind his head. Despite himself, Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel glad of that fact. At least he seemed the same despite the four years. “I mean, haven’t we been treating you, our future king, that way anyway?”

“Well we’re not in the kingdom so it makes sense that we would speak companionly.” The beast shook his head, the emotion in his eyes making him look almost human in a way. It would be easy to fool someone with those eyes, but Lon’qu knew what was lurking beneath all too well.

“Well, is the Professor says it’s alright we might as well accept this honor gratefully.”

“I don’t think I could…” Ingrid admittedly.

“I’m sure the Professor wouldn’t mind if you couldn’t,” The blonde girl assured, before she turned to Byleth, “It is alright, isn’t it Professor?”

Byleth nodded, and despite himself Lon’qu let out a bored groan. Pushing himself out of his chair.

“This is all so pointless,” he announced, “If there has to be mindless chatter can’t it happen while doing something that’s actually productive?”

“And I don’t suppose that productive thing wouldn’t be sparring, would it?” Byleth questioned, her mouth twitching into what could be an amused smirk.

“Obviously.” 

“That actually does sound like a great idea!” The grey haired boy piped up, “I would love to see what you’re capable of, Professor!”

“Why see when you could test out her abilities yourself?” The beast smirked.

“If you hurt yourself just say the word and I’ll patch you right up!” The blonde smiled, clasping her hands together. 

“Your Highness, do take care not to go overboard.” The man of Duscur warned. 

Honestly, Lon’qu had to agree with him. If that monster hurt Byleth just like-

“You worry too much, Dedue. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Guys. Are you sure about this?” Sylvain interrupted, “Getting to know each other through fighting seems barbaric. Can’t we just sit around and get to know our  _ lovely  _ professor through tea?”

“Well, you don’t have to come with us to the training grounds.” Ingrid informed him. “You can just sit here, oh so pathetically alone.”

“Ingrid my friend, you are far too harsh with me.” Sylvain dramatically sighed.

At least some things never change.

“Ugh, are you done?” Lon’qu moaned, bored of the conversation he pushed past Byleth to throw the doors open. “I tire of this idle banter, let’s  _ go.” _

“Always so impatient, aren’t you Lon’qu?” Byleth mused, as she turned to follow him out. The rest of the class following suit.

With a grunt Lon’qu fell to the ground, a wooden sword pointed towards his throat. The barest hint of a smile upon Byleth’s face at her victory.

“Time?” She called, her voice echoing through the training hall.

“Twenty minutes!” Ashe, the grey haired boy as Lon’qu came to learn, called out.

Despite himself, Lon’qu couldn’t help the small smirk that pulled at his own lips. “Twenty minutes, that’s a new record. Everyday I grow closer and closer to beating you.”

“I best train harder to stop that from happening.” Byleth mused, stepping back to allow Lon’qu to stand. She then turned towards the students, “Who’s next?”

“I’ll challenge you next, Professor.” The beast said as he stood from his seat.

Lon’qu scowled to himself as he went to join the others, even the sound of that voice was irritating. Taking the empty seat next to Sylvain, Lon’qu crosses his arms. Glaring towards the arena as the beast grabbed a training lance. 

“Lon’qu, are you hurt?” 

He looked over towards Mercedes, who had a hand held out towards him. Fingertips shining with the faith magic she was so skilled at.

“I’m fine.” Lon’qu told her, turning back towards the battle as Ashe called for the fight to begin.

With his lance the beast had a clear advantage against Byleth. But advantages and disadvantages were nothing compared to skill and experience.

“Ten minutes!” Ashe called when Byleth managed to knock the beast to the ground, her sword pointed towards his throat that time.

“You are quite the formidable foe.” The beast commented, “Your skills are unparalleled, it’s impressive.”

Byleth hummed to acknowledge the words, her eyes sweeping through the students. “Sylvain, you’re next.”

“Ah… me?” Sylvain chuckled, his voice laced with worry. “Alright.” He pulled himself from his seat, taking the training lance that the Beast offered towards him. It was a bit amusing, but Lon’qu could already tell that this was one fight that wasn’t worth watching. 

Leaning back in his seat, Lon’qu’s mind began to wander. His new circumstances were definitely going to be hard to adjust to. Especially since he was now stuck in the worst possible house he could be in. (No thanks to Byleth, of all the houses to choose from…) If only she had chosen one of the others, he would’ve been able to try and transfer. But, everything would be fine as long as that beast never figured it out. Right?

Though, as he watched Sylvain leave the field as Byleth called Annette to fight, maybe it wouldn’t be that bad if someone learned the truth.

Maybe.

Once everyone had their chance to fight against Byleth, the sun had since set and the moon had risen. Lon’qu had stood to join his classmates back to the dorm, but Byleth had grabbed his arm before he could get far. 

“What is it?” Lon’qu questioned as he turned towards Byleth. Having spent four years with her, Lon’qu had begun to pick up the signs within her emotionless face. Though, according to Jeralt, she used to be even more expressionless than she was now. Somehow having him around had helped Byleth learn how to express herself, even by the smallest amount. And yet, he couldn’t read the current expression on her face.

“One of the Professors called me to his room,” Byleth explained, “I would prefer not going alone.”

That was… an odd request, “Do you think this professor is untrustworthy?”

Byleth paused, “No… Hanneman doesn’t seem dangerous. But, as strange as this may be, I would prefer not being alone around him.”

“Alright, I’ll go with you.” Lon’qu agreed, though he had a feeling Byleth already knew his answer.

Byleth’s mouth twitched, before she turned to lead him off to wherever this strange professor was. 

Upon leading Lon’qu up to the floor where they had met Lady Rhea, Byleth brought them to a stop in front of one of the doors. Raising her fist, she knocked against the wood.

“Coming! Coming!”

The door opened, revealing an older man with grey hair and a mustache. “Ah Professor, I was eagerly awaiting your-” The man’s eyes trailed away from Byleth, landing onto Lon’qu. “Oh… who’s this?”

“My brother.” Byleth answered, “He’s a new student.”

“Ah, I see.” The man nodded, stepping aside to allow them in. “Well, I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you here, yes?”

“Something about crests?” Byleth answered as the door shut behind them.

While Byleth’s words were innocent, Lon’qu felt himself involuntarily shiver when the dread set over his shoulders. 

Crests… He was all too aware of what those were, gifts from the goddess herself given to the Ten Elites. They were valued throughout the nobility, with some families even disowning their children if they didn’t bear a crest. Lon’qu could still remember how bitter and harsh Miklan had become to the world, all because he didn’t have a crest but Sylvain did. 

And Lon’qu was very much aware of the dangers of his own crest.

There are two different types of crests. One being minor crests, they were the weaker but more common type of crest. If someone had a crest, it was usually safe to assume that the crest they bore was a minor one. And then, there were the major crests. They were more powerful than the minor crests, but extremely rare. So rare, that it’s said for every four generations of a family, the odds are only one person would bare a major crest.

And unfortunately, Lon’qu was a bearer of the major crest of Fraldarius. If that news got out… there was no way to recover from something like that. 

“Yes, I believe that you have to bear a crest, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what that crest might be.” The man informed her, “I was hoping you would be so kind as to help aid me in my research.” 

“What would you need?” Byleth questioned.

“Nothing much,” The man shrugged, “Some hair here, a bit of blood there. Oh! I was wondering if perhaps I could have a sample of your flesh? Just a few inches should be enough.”

“No.” 

“Yes, perhaps that was a bit much.” The man chuckled, “I apologize. I just get far too excited when it comes to my research.” And then, he turned his hungry gaze towards Lon’qu. “And how about you? If you two are siblings, than surely you must have a crest as well.”

“No.” Lon’qu winced at how loud his voice had been at that. Before he shook his head in order to clear his thoughts, “I don’t have a crest.” 

“Are you certain, we can test it out on my Crest Ana-”

“I’m going,” Lon’qu interrupted, turning towards the door. “I have classes tomorrow, goodnight Byleth, Professor.” And yanking open the door, Lon’qu left before too many more questions could be asked. 

Walking up the stairs, Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel thankful that there was no one around to spot him. With the late hour, it was expected that everyone were to be in their rooms. But still, there are always stragglers, but it appeared as though he was lucky this time.

Or not.

Lon’qu came to a stop when he spotted one of the dorm doors open, and a familiar looking face stepped out from the room. Bright green eyes glancing right then left, before they spotted him.

“Oh, Lon’qu, what brings you here?” Yellow called as he closed his door behind him. 

“Sleep.” Lon’qu informed him, cursing his luck to be roomed right next to the one person that was awake. 

“Oh?” Yellow leaned against the wall, a soft smirk pulling on his lips, “But what are you doing here? Unless… Wow, Lady Rhea must really want to get on someone’s good side if she’s letting a commoner room with all of the fancy nobles. Not that I care, of course, someone’s rank at birth means nothing to me. But it does raise some questions...” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lon’qu growled.

“I suppose we’ll see eventually,” Yellow shrugged, before sticking out a hand, “Anyway, I don’t think I introduced myself. The name’s Claude, I suppose you could say I’m the next in line to rule over the Alliance.” 

Lon’qu simply stared at the hand, until Claude lowered it. “Not much for pleasantries, huh? Guess that’s to be expected, you having grown up as a mercenary and all.”

“Right.” Lon’qu grunted, having enough of the conversation he pushed past Claude, reaching out to grab the knob of his new room.

“Y’know, Lon’qu,” Despite himself, Lon’qu glanced back towards Claude, “That hood you’re wearing… What’s up with that?”

“What do you mean?” Lon’qu questioned. 

“Well, most people might find it strange.” Claude shrugged, “That you’re running around, not letting people see your face. Suspicious even, you aren’t trying to hide anything are you?” 

“There’s no point in hiding someone who’s dead.” Lon’qu muttered, before he pulled his door open and stepped inside. Leaving Claude alone to muse over his words. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly this story is really making me want to train a Lon'qu up in heroes.   
Curse my lack of feathers.


	5. The Masked Instructor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Upon waking up, Lon'qu decides to go to the Training Hall to get some practice in before classes.  
It's there that he meets someone whose circumstances are a bit similar to his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. In order to make it easier for me to read I actually changed the spacing, font, and font size so that it could be better for my eyes to look at. So while the page numbers for this chapter was more than usual, this chapter could be a lot shorter.   
Also, I do have a new AU idea for this fandom that's in the works! I'm probably not going to post it until after it's completely written, but I hope you will all enjoy it when it's out! I won't say much other than the main character for that story is going to be Glenn.

Lon’qu gasped, eyes wide as he shot up in his bed. A strangled cry ripping past his throat as his old wounds, that seemed like they never truly would fade throbbed. It had been years since Lon’qu had last had a dream about that horrible night, seeing the boar must’ve triggered something within him. And now his mind was seeing fit to punish him for trying to forget. 

Pushing his blankets off, Lon’qu swung his feet over his bed. One hand gripping the mattress while the other held onto his shoulder so tightly his knuckles were turning white. 

He glanced out the window, seeing that the sky was pitch black. It wasn’t even close to morning, but there was no chance Lon’qu could go back to sleep now. Not when the only thing he could see when he closed the eyes was the wild, mad gaze of the one who nearly killed him. And so he pulled himself out of bed, stumbling over towards the full length mirror that had been shoved into the corner of his room. 

Despite the low lighting of the candles he had lit hours ago, he could still make out his reflection. His hair was dark, the strands knotted and twisted from his restless sleep. Lon’qu lifted a hand, going from his scalp and onwards he ran his fingers through his hair. His arm stretching out to its full length before the strands finally slipped through. He really should cut it, as the length could be considered hazardous in battle. But he never really found time between their missions and his training to really do anything about it. And besides, he always kept it hidden within his cloak, so it’s not like it would ever get in the way anyways. 

There were dark circles under his eyes, most likely a result of his life of late to bed early to rise. And now, it seemed as though he was going to get even less sleep if he continued to have these nightmares. But really, there wasn’t much that he could do about them. Well, besides asking for herbs or medication that could help, but he would much rather die than try that. 

With a heavy sigh, Lon’qu raised a hand to allow his fingers to graze upon the scar that split his face in two. Starting on the left side of his face, the scar cut through his eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, before falling off the right side of his jaw. It was a horrible looking thing, and to Lon’qu it was nothing more than a reminder of all he had lost those four years ago. First it was Glenn, then it was Dimitri, and because of his own childish selfishness he had lost Sylvain and Ingrid. 

He hated looking at it.

Lon’qu turned away from the mirror, roughly grabbed the hairbrush off of the nearby desk. Viciously running it through his hair as his eyes landing on the uniform that was set upon a chair. The seamstress had been surprisingly quick with getting it to him, having delivered it before he had returned to his room. Though it was only one, he suspected she would be bringing multiples up to his room later. Once his hair was brushed, Lon’qu tossed the tool aside and walked over to the pile of clothes. Stripping off his sleep clothes while he walked. He then pulled the uniform on, noting that it was a bit different that the ones the others had been wearing. He wasn’t given one of those strange jackets that Sylvain and Ashe wore, but instead that jacket was replaced by a vest. Not that Lon’qu really was complaining about it, having a jacket as well as his cape would’ve made things far too hot for the season. 

Different or not, Lon’qu pulled the uniform on, finishing the ensemble with a pair of dueling boots that he had been given, and his hooded cape. Taking care to pull the hood over his face as far as it could go. With the uniform on, Lon’qu grabbed his sword belt, and clipped it into place before he put his sword into its sheif. 

All dressed and ready for the day that had yet to start Lon’qu left his room. Since he already knew where the training hall was, it wouldn’t take long for him to get there. Well, not counting any distractions that might come his way. Though he most certainly hoped that they wouldn’t. 

He paused for a moment outside of Claude’s room, straining for noises to make sure he wasn’t there or awake. After what he said last night (why oh why did he say something so stupid?) he definitely was going to regret that later. Claude seemed like the type of person that wouldn’t rest until he got answers to his questions, and unfortunately Lon’qu was giving him too many questions that he wouldn’t be able to ignore. (Then again, would telling Claude really hurt? It’s not like the guy actually would know who Felix Fraldarius was.) 

Nearing the stairway, Lon’qu paused outside one of the doors. He could hear a rustling of movement happening in that room, which was strange when one considered the hour. (Then again, did Lon’qu really have any room to talk?) But whoever it was, Lon’qu already knew he wouldn’t want to talk to them, and so he continued on his way down the stairs.

It was dark and cold outside, though certainly not as cold as some of the winters Lon’qu had experienced in the past. And the only way he could really see in the darkness was by the torches that went along the path, most likely having been lit by some of the prostilents that lived at the monastery. 

Reaching the doors that lead to the Training Hall, Lon’qu paused once his hand touched the wood. If he listened carefully, he could hear the sounds of someone training inside. He really didn’t want to talk to anyone right now, or really ever unless they were Jeralt or Byleth. But unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen, and Lon’qu really wanted to train. Because what was the point in being awake if he wasn’t doing something productive, and without missions what else was there to do besides train? And so, Lon’qu pushed open the doors and stepped inside the Training Hall.

Inside, there was a man Lon’qu hadn’t seen before. Looking at his outfit, it was obvious that this man wasn’t a student. (Though Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel like he seemed a bit too young to be a teacher.) He wore white armor, and his hair was the same shade of pale blonde that Mercedes had. Though most curious was the mask that hid away his face. (But then again, did Lon’qu really have any right to criticize someone for hiding away their face?)

“Students should be asleep at this time of night.” A voice cut cooly through the air, and with a start Lon’qu realized that the strange man was addressing him. He had turned from the training dummy he had been mauling to look over at Lon’qu. 

“Don’t care.” Lon’qu informed him, stepping further into the training hall. He pointedly ignored the man, and went over to the racks of training weapons. Picking up one of the swords he tested the weight in his hands. It was strange to be using fake weapons again, as a mercenary having a fake weapon could be considered a dangerous risk. So training had to be done with the real thing. 

When he turned back around, he found that the man’s eyes were still lingering on him. It was a bit weird.

“Who are you anyways?” Lon’qu demanded after a moment’s silence, “You’re not a student, but you also look young enough to be one. This school can’t be dumb enough to hire a kid to teach. You look like you could be the same age as me.”

“I am Jeritza,” The stranger informed him, “I am the fencing instructor.”

“Ah, so this school  _ is  _ dumb enough to hire a kid.” Lon’qu hummed, though his mind instantly went to the more important statement in that sentence. “You’re the fencing instructor?” 

“Yes, now if you’ll excu-”

“Fight me.”

The man blinked, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” Lon’qu said, “If you were really hired as an instructor at your age, you  _ have  _ to be a worthwhile fight. And practicing against a real person is much more interesting, as well as useful, than some dummy that can’t hit back.”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Jeritza asked with a sigh. 

“No.” 

* * *

As much as Lon’qu hated to admit it, he had only lasted five minutes into that fight before Jeritza had knocked him down. The wooden practice sword pointed towards his throat. Though, at the same time, he found it pretty impressive. His fights with both Byleth and Jeralt had slowly but surely been lasting longer as Lon’qu improved. 

“I can see why they hired you.” Lon’qu hummed, as he pushed the practice sword aware from his throat. Pulling himself to his feet, Lon’qu grabbed the sword that he had dropped during his fall. “You’re pretty good with a blade.” 

The man grunted in return, his head turned towards the sky. 

As Lon’qu stared at him, he felt the beginning of a question on his lips, a question that he asked before he could comprehend the idea of asking it, “What’s with that mask?”

Jeritza’s head jerked towards him, “Excuse me?”

“The mask,” Lon’qu repeated, knowing that there was no going back on the question, “It’s kind of weird that a teacher would hide their own identity. Are you hiding it from everyone, or are there certain people that you don’t want to recognize you?” Lon’qu’s eyes drifted away from Jeritza as he spoke, “Then again, perhaps I have no room to ask seeing as I’m doing the same.” Despite himself Lon’qu lifted his free hand, tugging lightly at the fur surrounding his face. 

“No. You don’t.” Jeritza agreed, and before Lon’qu could say anything else he let the wooden blade fall from his hand as he turned and stalked out of the Training Hall. 

Lon’qu watched with curiosity as he left, before he bent down and picked up the blade that Jeritza had dropped. He then turned towards one of the training dummies, and then back towards the blades in his hand.

He might as well use this opportunity to practice fighting with dual blades. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeritza: You’re going to annoy me until I say yes, aren’t you?  
Lon’qu: In my life I’ve already had around three older siblings. Which will soon become five, what do you think?   
(Is it weird that this story is making me really wanna replay Awakening? I have been meaning to, as I'm really curious about how it'd change if you're not married to Chrom, especially now that I know I can actually give Kellam the ending he deserves.)


	6. The Mock Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TFW when you're just training, having a good time, and then your sudden father accidentally makes you spill your heart out about your childhood trauma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’know, before this idea I actually did have a plot where instead of almost killing Felix during the rebellion, Dimitri actually did kill him. Felix was going to be an (actual) ghost that's haunting Dimitri. (Though neither of them were aware that Dimitri had killed him.)  
Glenn was also going to make an appearance as a vengeful spirit, because let’s be real. Who wouldn’t be pissed if the person they died a horrible gruesome death to save turned around and murdered their little brother?  
Writing this chapter just reminded me of that.

“How did I know I would find you here?”

So caught up in his training, Lon’qu didn’t hear the other person enter, so when their voice broke out… Admittedly, he did start, just a bit, one of the swords he held clattering to the ground as he turned around the face the newcomer.

“Ah! Je- Father.” Lon’qu winced at his near slip up, he really was going to have to pay attention to that. “What brings you here?”

“Byleth asked me to find you.” Jeralt answered as he continued into the Training Hall, pausing next to Lon’qu so that he could pick up the sword that had been dropped.

“Why?”

Straightening up, Jeralt flashed Lon’qu a stern look, “Do you know what time it is?”

“Ah, isn’t it-” Lon’qu trailed off as he glanced up, eyes widening when he realized that at some point during his training the sun had risen, and was now quite high in the sky. “Oh…”

“Byleth was concerned when you didn’t show up for lunch,” Jeralt informed him, prying the practice sword Lon’qu still held out of his hand. “She probably would’ve looked for you herself, but all of those brats were eating up all of her attention.” 

“I’m surprised no one came in to disturb me.” Lon’qu said, watching as Jeralt went to put the weapons away. 

“Probably because they’re all at the strategy meetings for the mock battle today.” Jeralt said, glancing over his shoulder, “Did you forget about that too?”

“Uh… no?”

Truthfully, Lon’qu had completely forgotten that the classes were to engage in a mock battle to start off the school year. Perhaps he had put it out of him mind, because he really didn’t want to think about going into battle with the boar again. He had done that once, and nearly lost his life because of it. Could anyone really blame him for not really wanting to repeat that incident?

Jeralt sighed, “What’s going on with you, kid?”

“What do you mean?” 

The man simply shook his head, walked over to Lon’qu, “One of those brats we helped with the bandit attack told Byleth about your little outburst when you were introduced to your class.” He informed him, “And in return, she told me.” 

“My… oh.” Lon’qu winced, crossing his arms as he chose to look anywhere that wasn’t Jeralt. “That. I…” Shifting awkwardly, Lon’qu best tried to figure out what he wanted to say, “I… Wasn’t being entirely truthful when we first met.”

“Obviously.”

Lon’qu’s head jerked up to look at Jeralt.

“No offense kid, but you’ve never really been good at lying.” Jeralt informed him, an almost fond smile twitching on his lips. “I never questioned it, because, well…” Jeralt looked around the Training Hall, though Lon’qu could tell it wasn’t really the Training Hall itself that the man was looking at. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“I… I had a brother.” Lon’qu winced when the words left his mouth, not entirely knowing why he was choosing to tell Jeralt this, especially since he had never said anything in four years. Must be the memories seeing his old friends had stirred up. “He died, two months before I met you and Byleth.” He tapped his fingers against his leg, trying to figure out how best to continue. “He was a knight for the kingdom, and died saving the life of an important noble. I know it was his job, and I understand that if he had lived past that day he would’ve never forgiven himself, but… He was my brother! He was my brother, and I was expected to be proud that he died! Proud that he died well.” He put all of his venom into that last word, continuing to talk even though he really didn’t want to. Because the more he spoke, the more a weight seemed to be lifting from his shoulders. A four year old burden that was constantly suffocating him. “I… I just wanted my brother back...”

“Lon’qu…” The man hesitated for a moment, before settling a hand upon Lon’qu’s quivering shoulders. (When did they start doing that? Lon’qu wished they would stop, he was feeling weak enough for suddenly spilling this information he had spent so long to hide away.

“He died…” A sudden chill settling over his body, as a thought filled his mind. It was something he had to have realized long ago, perhaps part of the reason why he chose to run away from that battlefield. But something he never wished to voice, and yet he now did. His voice came out bitter as he finally said the very thing he had been thinking for four years but never voiced. “Glenn died, saving the life of the person that tried to kill me.” 

Lon’qu pushed the hand on his shoulder away, taking a step back away from Jeralt. 

“I should be going, sorry for bothering you with those thoughts.” 

And so Lon’qu walked past Jeralt, and left the Training Hall. Heading off towards the battlefield.

* * *

“So, Professor, who’s going in?” The boar questioned once everyone had gathered on the sidelines of the battlefield. 

From what Lon’qu had heard, each class was only allowed to let in a few of their students. This was mostly due to the fact that a lot of them weren’t used to battle yet, so having everyone in there could be considered overwhelming for some.

Byleth hummed at the question, her eyes sweeping over each of the students as she best tried to pick out which ones would work best for the battle. She was only allowed to put in five units for this fight, with one of them having to be her and another having to be the boar seeing as he was house leader.

Byleth’s eyes scanned everyone, one of her fingers tapping against her thigh as she observed her students.

“Mercedes, Dedue, Annette, you’re up. The rest of you will wait on the sidelines.” She decided after a moment. 

Admittedly, Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel like he should be disappointed with no being able to fight. But, admittedly, a small part of him was relieved. He really wasn’t looking forward to going into battle with that beast again. Not after last time. 

While the others got ready for battle, Lon’qu followed the rest of the leftovers to the side of the field to watch the coming battle. 

“It feels like a waste to be sitting out of battle.” Ingrid said as they all took their seats with the other students that wouldn’t be participating. 

“I’m not complaining.” Sylvain shrugged as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes trailing over towards the others that weren’t chosen to battle. Most specifically, the girls. “At least now I can chat with some of these beautiful ladies.” He gave a wink to one of the girls, this one with hot pink hair tied to the side of her head in an intricate braid, who just stared at him blankly.

Rolling his eyes at Sylvain’s antics, who would’ve known the guy would become a no good skirt-chaser, Lon’qu began to study the other students he was going to be forced to spend time with. 

There were two boys having a discussion, no, scratch that. There was one boy with aqua hair and matching eyes talking with wild gestures, and a voice that was much too loud. And the person he was talking to, a boy with dark green hair that was cut to his chin save for a small thin ponytail, looked like he was five seconds away from passing out. 

There was a small, meek looking girl, who looked like she would much rather be anywhere else but there. Who was slumped down in her seat, the blue hood of her uniform pulled over her face in an attempt to hide her. Light strands of purple escaping past the hood.

Speaking of meek, there was another girl that looked like she would rather be anywhere else. This one had light blue hair, and heavy bags under her eyes. Almost as bad as the ones Lon’qu sported. Her shoulders were hunched, and her purple gaze was locked onto her hands that she held tightly grasped in her lap. 

There was a large boy whose uniform was barely able to fit him, with rough blonde hair, and golden eyes to match. He seemed to be particularly interested in the match, sitting on the edge of his seat as he called out to one of his classmates. Following his gaze, Lon’qu’s eyes landed on a small looking boy with blonde hair and overly large glasses, whose hands were clasped tightly around a bow. 

Next to the large boy was a small, and very young looking girl. Whose hair was startling white, and pink eyes. She wasn’t really interacting with anyone, instead she had what looked to be sheets of paper in her hands, and a quill. Her gaze never leaving the battlefield, as she seemed to be scribbling something down. (Was she taking notes?)

The last student was a girl with short orange hair and matching eyes. Though instead of looking at the battlefield, the girl seemed to be looking over at  _ him.  _ Her eyes narrowed in an unreadable expression, and before Lon’qu could process it the girl was on her feet. Striding confidently over towards him, she plopped herself down into the seat next to him without even asking if she could.

“You’re Captain Jeralt’s kid, aren’t you?” The girl demanded.

“Uh… yes?” Lon’qu hated that he ended that with a question, but in his defense, it was a pretty recent development. He still didn’t entirely know what to think about it, though admittedly he would much rather call Jeralt his father than his  _ actual  _ father. For all Lon’qu cared, that man was dead to him. And probably actually dead, with all his talk of Glenn dying  _ like a true knight.  _ Lon’qu could see the old man getting killing taking an attack meant for someone else. 

Goddess, sometimes the very thought of that man made him feel sick.

“Is that an answer or a question?” The girl quizzed, not looking like she was wanting to accept Lon’qu’s answer. “If Captain Jeralt was  _ my  _ father I would be proud to call myself just that!”

“Do you know him?” Lon’qu asked.

“Of course. I’m Captain Jeralt’s first, and  _ only  _ apprentice.” She said, looking a bit smug about the fact. And then she stuck out a hand, “I’m Leonie.” 

“Lon’qu.” He took her hand, noting how she had a grip stronger than some of the mercenaries Lon’qu had spent four years traveling with. 

“Strange name,” Leonie hummed, letting go of his hand, “I wonder why the Captain picked it.” 

“I’ve never felt the need to question it.” Lon’qu answered, mostly because that name had been his choice, but he most certainly couldn’t tell anyone that. 

Leonie opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could Jeralt stepped onto the battlefield. A fact that most certainly would catch the girl’s attention. 

“As you all know,” Jeralt announced, “The house that defeats the other houses will be declared the winner. I’ll be the one overseeing this mock battle, so make sure that you follow the rules. If you get hit in a fatal spot, or your weapon is knocked out of your hand, you’re out. If, somehow, you manage to kill someone you will be expelled from the academy, and harsh discipline will be enacted. Now… To battle!”

As Jeralt left the battlefield, the teams began to prepare themselves for the upcoming fight. The Golden Deer were up in the forest, hiding behind some makeshift barriers. Which, was pretty smart, they probably had the best position there if Lon’qu did say so himself. 

The Blue Lions were set in the southern part of the field, and were more put out in the open than the other two houses. Which definitely put them at a disadvantage compared to the other two houses which both claimed areas with healing spots. (That’s probably why Byleth chose to bring Mercedes into battle, seeing as she was a healer.) 

Some might say he was cocky, but Lon’qu really didn’t see how they were going to lose. Even when at such a disadvantage. From what he had seen of the other professors, they didn’t seem all too impressive. And Byleth had been working as a mercenary her entire life, so she was used to battles to the death. He had no doubts that she would be able to lead their house to victory. 

* * *

“And that brings an end to the mock battle!” Jeralt called once the beast had defeated Manuela. “The winners are… the Blue Lions!”

The rest of Lon’qu’s classmates began to cheer, each one practically throwing themselves out of their seats to greet the victors. It was almost amusing to watch, Lon’qu had to admit. 

The other classes began to reunite as well, talk of how the Battle of the Eagle and Lion was going to be different. Admittedly, Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel excited for that battle, it most certainly was going to be more of a challenge than the pitiful display today. 

He could still remember Glenn’s letters about when he participated in the Battle of the Eagle and Lion. All his letters the weeks leading up to that fight had been non stop talking about it, and he had sounded so excited when the Blue Lions had won. 

“Are you planning on just sitting there and sulking?”

Lon’qu looked up, a scowl forming on his face when his eyes met Byleth’s. The woman’s lips twitching with amusement.

“I’m  _ not  _ sulking.” Lon’qu informed her, batting away the hand she held out to him as he stood. “I was thinking.”

“Sulking and thinking can be considered the same thing.” B/yleth said, her face falling back into its neutral position. “There’s to be a victory feast, everyone is already on their way to the dining hall.”

So they were, Lon’qu realized upon seeing that he and Byleth were near the only ones left. 

“Come on,” Byleth grabbed Lon’qu’s hand before he could react. “I’m certain I overheard mention of there being some spiced dishes tonight.” 

And with that, Lon’qu and Byleth left behind the innocent battlefield for a delectable feast. 


	7. The First Day of Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just in time for back to school, eh?

It was after another extremely early morning that day, and he was late.

Rushing through the monastery grounds, making sure to call out quick apologies to the nuns and monks that he had accidently bumped into, Lon’qu ran as fast as he could towards his classroom.

He had gotten so enwrapped with his training again, that he hadn’t even noticed the sunrise. And now the sun was up, lunch was over, and he was supposed to be in class. Byleth’s first class as a new teacher, and of course he was late. He was never going to see the end of this. 

Entering the courtyard, Lon’qu made a beeline for the classroom adorned with blue. Though his gaze turned towards the one adorned with red with a longing expression. Why couldn’t Byleth had just chosen a different class? Of the three that there were, she had to choose the one that could expose Lon’qu for who he was. 

It really was just his luck.

Skidding to a stop outside the door, for a moment Lon’qu did consider just leaving. It wasn’t as if he really wanted to be there, in reality the only reason why he  _ was  _ there was probably due to some ulterior motive on Lady Rhea’s part. (Though what that motive was, Lon’qu had yet to figure out. Though he knew that it most certainly couldn’t be good.) But he knew he truly had no choice over what would happen to him, and so he pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Instantly eight pairs of eyes landed on him.

“Lon’qu,” Byleth greeted, “I was wondering when you were going to join us.”

“Got distracted…” Lon’qu muttered as he walked in, making a beeline for the desk in the far corner he collapsed into it. His body a bit fatigued from lack of sleep, food, and that amount of training he had put in earlier.

“That distraction wouldn’t have been training, wouldn’t it?” Byleth questioned, her lip jerking up in a slight amused expression before relaxing again. Grabbing a couple of books off of her desk, Byleth walked over to him, and dropped them in front of him with a loud thud. “I’ve already mapped out what goals everyone should work on, these books should help you study to achieve them.” 

“Shouldn’t we get to chose?” Lon’qu questioned as he looked down at the first book with a frown. He didn’t even know they  _ wrote  _ books about swordfighting, it was a bit strange. What could you learn from a book that you couldn’t learn from actual experience? Pushing that book aside, Lon’qu paused upon seeing the next one. Glacning up at Byleth who hadn’t left his desk, choosing instead to stare blanky down at him, before he looked back at the book and then back at her.

“ _ Reason? _ What the Hell did I do to piss you off so much?”

In return, Byleth simply hummed before walking to the front of the class to continue the lecture Lon’qu had interupted. 

Lon’qu pinched the reason book’s cover, almost as if it was something disgusting he had found on the ground, and he flipped it open, glaring down at the pages revealed. He didn’t want to do this, what was the point in magic when his sword worked just fine?

With a low growl he shut the book, looking up to ‘watch’ Byleth’s lecture. And by watch, he was more so watching his classmates more than whatever it was that she was talking about. 

Sylvain, was leaning on the back legs of his chair, hands held behind his head as he watched. (Something told Lon’qu he was more into watching Byleth than listening to her.) 

Ingrid, who was sitting next to him, at some point noticed the way he was sitting. She smacked his arm, his chair going onto all four legs with a thud. She glared at him, getting a cheeky smile in return. 

The beast was sitting attentively, his back straight as his eyes bore into Byleth. The action causing Lon’qu to clentch his hands into fists under the desk. He knew that if the beast went wild she’d be able to handle him, but that didn’t mean that Lon’qu would let that happen if he had any say in it. Besides the boar was Dedue, who sat at attention as well. 

At another desk was Annette and Mercedes. The orange haired girl was bent over her papers, scribbling furiously down in her notes. Mercedes was bent over Annette’s notes as well, glancing up every so often at Byleth and whispered gently to Annette. Maybe reminding her of something Byleth said that Annette hadn’t written down yet? 

Ashe was sitting by himself, eyes training hungrly onto Byleth. Drinking in every word that left her lips with eager anticipation. Like Annette, he was also jotting down notes though he wasn’t looking down at the paper. (Would those notes even be legiable after the class?)

Lon’qu sat back in his seat, eyes drifting off as he began to tone Byleth out. 

* * *

After class let out that day, Lon’qu headed straight for the Mess Hall. Having missed breakfast that day, as well as having missed breatfast and lunch the day before, he was quite famished. And he was well aware that he needed to keep his strength up, especially with how much he trained. (And he was going to have to train harder than ever so that I could protect people in case that boar decided to show its true colors.) 

Grabbing a tray of the spiciest dish Lon’qu could find he found the emptiest corner of the Mess Hall and sat down there. Prepared to eat his food in complete silence and solitude.

“Hello.”

Lon’qu looked up from his meal, finding a girl standing before him. He remembered her from the mock battle the other day, she had been fighting on the Black Eagle’s side, and had been rather impressive in said battle. 

“Is anyone sitting here?” The girl asked, nodding her head towards the chair that was right across from him. 

“No.”

“Good.” The girl set her tray down and took the seat. “You’re Lon’qu, right?” Before he could answer she continued, “The new Professor’s brother?”

“Does this school pride itself in pointless gossip?” Lon’qu questioned, shoving a fork full of his food into his mouth.

“Most certainly,” Dorothea confirmed, “Still, I had hoped you would indulge me for a moment.”

“Excuse me?”

“The mercenary that refuses to show his face. Who shows contemptment towards the knightly ideas of chivalry. Going as far as to insulting the future king of Faerghus for those ideals.” Dorothea hummed, as she twirled some of her vegetable pasta salad with her fork. “Going to this school is meant to help you make better connections. Yet you aren’t taking advantage of that. In fact, you’re doing the opposite.”

“I don’t care to make connections, I don’t even want to be here.” Lon’qu growled. He glanced down towards his plate, and then back towards his company. “I’m done here.”

He grabbed his food and left the table, disposing of his tray before leaving the mess hall.

The strong scent of fish met Lon’qu’s nose upon leaving the Mess Hall. There weren’t too many people out near the pond, the only people out being the man in charge of overseeing the fishing, and the boy with dark green hair he had noticed the other day.

With the lack of people Lon’qu figured staying there would be in his best interests. Plopping himself down against a corner of brick, Lon’qu pulled his sword from its shief and a whetstone from the bag hung around his shoulders. He might as well do something productive while his time was free. He would much rather spend it training, but he had to be careful to pay attention to his limits. Over training was never a good thing.

* * *

“Mew!”

Looking up from his weapon matience, Lon’qu was surprised to see that a small kitten had come up to him while he had been working. It was a tiny, scruffy looking thing with silky black fur and small patches of white one its chest, stomach, and as well as two small dots one located under its mouth and the other on a single toe. 

Despite himself, Lon’qu set aside the sword and whetstone. Reaching out a hand slowly towards the kitten. 

Slowly it inched closer, it’s nose twitching as it sniffed at Lon’qu’s hand. After a moment, it seemed to decide Lon’qu as trustworthy, as it butted its head against his hand. 

“Meow!”

A small smile twitched on the corner of Lon’qu’s face, though if anyone were to point it out he most certainly would deny it. The kitten advanced closer to him, allowed Lon’qu to fully ran a hand through its fur. The soft purring loud and proud in his ears, a look of contentment on the kitten’s face as it enjoyed the attention it was receiving. 

“Ah! Young Lon’qu!”

The loud voice was enough to startle the kitten, with it coming near a foot and a half in the air before turning around and streaking off.

Swallowing his disappointed, Lon’qu watched after it for a moment before he looked up towards the intruder.

In front of him was the knight he had met during that bandit attack. Alois, if he remembered correctly. The overbearingly friendly man stood over him, with a wide smile.

“I was hoping I would see you again!” Alois told him.

“... Why?” Lon’qu questioned, jerking his head away to reclaim the sword he had set aside. 

“I was hoping you would go fishing with me.”

That got Lon’qu’s attention. He looked back up towards Alois, confusion settling on his brow as he studied the friendly face smiling down at him.

“E-Excuse me?”

To say Lon’qu was surprised would be an understatement. That request had come out of nowhere. He didn’t even understand why the man would’ve searched him out in hopes for the two to go fishing. 

“Fishing! Your old man and I would fish together all the time! I was hoping we could share the experience, what do you say?” 

Lon’qu opened his mouth to say no, but then he made the mistake at looking into Alois’ large hopeful eyes. Only an absolute monster would be able to say no to eyes as innocent looking as those. And Lon’qu was no Dimitri. 

“Alright.”

If it was even possible, Alois’ smile became wider. “Wonderful! Perhaps I could even tell you some stories about Captain Jeralt while we fish. Does that sound like a plan?”

Lon’qu shrugged as he hopped off the crate, putting his sword and whetstone away. “Alright.”

“Excellent!” A heavy arm settled over Lon’qu’s shoulders as Alois began to lead him towards the pond. Already his booming voice beginning to tell Lon’qu some story about Jeralt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of curiosity, are there any specific characters you'd like to see more of in this AU? And by that I mean characters that aren't from the Blue Lions, I already have plans for one, but I'm curious if there's anyone someone would like to see specifically.


	8. Fishing and Cakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cake... ACQUIRED

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait, as well as the short chapter. I was having problems writing this one.

Fishing with Alois was… anything but actual fishing.

With the man’s all too loud voice, and his large gestures, any fish that might have been near enough to the docks would’ve started fleeing the moment the man’s loud footsteps practically rattled the old wood. Not that Lon’qu was all too concerned, admittedly he never cared too much for fishing. It was a boring activity, one that requires patience. And patience was one thing Lon’qu most certainly didn’t have time for, not when he needed to get stronger. 

No, he’d leave the fishing for Jeralt and Byleth. 

But, and Lon’qu wouldn’t even dare admit it even with a threat of torture, spending time with Alois… Wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Yes, the man was deafeningly loud, and yes he could learn to reign in some of those gestures. But… Lon’qu couldn’t help but feel an almost comforting nostalgia as the man began to spin wild tales about his misshapen adventures with Jeralt.

Many years ago, before the world had turned dark, Glenn used to tell him all sorts of stories. Some were read from books, others were some of Glenn’s history lessons that he turned into interesting stories And some Glenn just made up himself. Whenever someone spoke of Glenn after he passed, the only thing they would focus on was his death, of how he died honorably. No one mentioned how Glenn could turn the most boring of subjects into a soul gripping story that kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time. No, no one could tell a story like Glenn could, but… admittedly, Alois was pretty close second. 

“And needless to say, the Captain and I were banned from ever returning to that particular tavern ever again.” Alois finished with a hearty laugh, shaking his head a bit at the memory. 

“Though they never do fail to send me the bills for all of those damages.” 

Lon’qu grunted to acknowledge the fact that he was (kind of) paying attention to Alois’s story. Though he kept his eyes on the waters, lost in his thoughts and memories.

“Hey, are you doing alright?”

“Hmm?” Lon’qu’s head jerked up as he met Alois’ concerned eyes. He frowned at the sight, before jerking his head away. He hated it when people looked at him like that. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” 

“You seemed to have been lost in thought.” Alois told him, “Anything you want to talk about?” 

“No.” Lon’qu responded, glancing down towards the water, before he began to reel his line in. “I’m going to go train.” He informed Alois, before he pulled himself to his feet.

“Alrighty then, but don’t be afraid to hunt down ol’ Alois if you ever want to chat!” Alois called after him once Lon’qu began to walk away to return the rod. 

* * *

Entering the Training Hall, the first thing Lon’qu heard was the sound of someone else training. Not that that was too strange of a thought. It was a training hall, and also happened to be a normal hour of the day to be there.

But upon walking in, Lon’qu was greeted by the sight of two people. One of them was the Duscur boy, Dedue, if Lon’qu remembered correctly. And then other…

Lon’qu quickly left before either of them noticed him. He was not ready to go through any sort of conversation with that… thing. 

And so with the one thing he actually liked doing out of the question, there was only one thing left for him to do. And that was to wander the grounds. There were plenty of places to go explore, seeing as how large the area was. (He had even heard some of the priests and knights admit that they still hadn’t seen every place inside of the Monastery.) 

It was during his wanderings that Lon’qu happened across a small building hidden away from the rest of the world. It wasn’t too impressive, but it was something to explore. And with it being so hidden away Lon’qu figured no one would be around the area.

Walking over to the door, Lon’qu was a bit surprised that it opened without a complaint. Not even a creak, though upon walking in he learned that there was a reason for that.

The building wasn’t as abandoned as he expected.

Walking in, his ears were instantly assaulted by the sounds of someone shoving some sort of food into their face without a single care. And his eyes were greeted by a shock of white. 

“Mmm… Cake.” The girl practically moaned as she shoveled her cake into her mouth as if there was no tomorrow. 

Watching her, Lon’qu wasn’t entirely sure what he should do or say in the situation. It seemed rude to interupt, but admittidly… The whole ordeal was kind of freaking him out. 

Suddenly the girl turned around, an empty plate in her hand. Upon seeing him her eyes widened.

“Ah! You… Lon’qu!”

“Lysithea…” Lon’qu noted, her name coming to him upon hearing her voice. “You look mortified.” 

“You… How long have you been there?” She demanded, “You were watching me, weren’t you?” 

He shrugged, “I was, yes.” 

The girl frowned, mummblring something under her breath.

“Did you say something?”

“What? No, I…” The girl looked down at the second slice of cake that was on her plate, this one having been uneaten. “Here!” She thrust it towards him, and despite himself Lon’qu took a step back as if she was directing a weapon towards him. “Take it!” 

“What? Why?”

“I’m buying your silence,” Lysinthea explained, “With cake.”

“What am I supposed to stay silent about?” Lon’qu questioned, not understanding what was going on in the slightest. 

“If people thought I was shoving cake into my mouth by the fistful they would think of me as nothing more than a child!” Lysithea explained. 

“Adults eat cake.” Lon’qu reminded her.

“Ugh! You’ll never understand! Just take it.” She thrust the cake towards him once more, this time with more force, causing Lon’qu to take yet another step back.

“What? No.”

“Does your refusal mean you’re going to tell everyone about this?” The girl asked, looking horrified by the idea.

“No. I just don’t like sweets.” 

“Nonsense! No one can resist something as delicious as cake! Just… take it! I’m giving it to you no matter what!” And suddenly the plate was in his hands. “Eat it, throw it out, throw it at some unsuspecting victim, I don’t care!” 

And she was gone.

Lon’qu sighed, glancing down towards the cake in his hands with disgust. “That was strange… But what am I supposed to do with this cake?”

* * *

Later, while he made his way back to his dorm Lon’qu came across a boy with dark skin and red eyes. He shoved the cake into the boy’s hands and left before any questions could be asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Lon'qu reminds people of little brothers, Alois reminds others of dead people.


	9. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes can be deadly if you don't have the power of time travel on your side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
So, um… It’s been awhile, huh? Sorry for taking so long to update, I’ve kinda… Well, I’ve basically just been playing Three Houses non-stop since my last update. Literally, I’ve finished the Golden Deer Route, and have started the Black Eagle Route. (Also shout out to Hubert for saying that he’d be willing to be the White Heron Cup representative if no one else wanted to do it. As if Dorothea and Ferdinand aren’t in the same house as him. I found it funny how he was more accepting of dancing than Felix.)  
Also, thank you to Martianpotato for telling me what the correct spelling of sheath is. Hopefully I'll remember from now on.

The month passed quicker than Lon’qu could’ve imagined. During that time he had been forced to mingle with the other houses. There were some people that would make good opponents, though disappointingly not too many of them were sword users. The only other person that seemed even halfway decent with a sword was a girl from the Black Eagle’s House. (Petra, if he recalled the name correctly.) 

And with the end of the month approaching, so too came their class’s assignment. According to Byleth they were going to be taking down some bandits that were invading the Red Canyon. (Which was apparently some sort of holy sight, though he had no idea what made a canyon holy.) 

Leaving the monastery, the class made their way towards the canyon, accompanied by some of the Knights of Seiros. (Luckily Alois was absent from the group, Lon’qu didn’t entirely know if he could handle that man twice in one month.) If it weren’t for the strange company the walk to the canyon almost reminisce the days as a mercenary. With him falling in step right beside Byleth. With them right at the front of the pack, it almost would’ve felt exactly like it used to be. (Minus Jeralt, of course.) 

The Boar that walked right next to her ruined that image. 

Lon’qu frowned as he observed the Boar in the corner of his eye. Not wanting it to seem like he was actually looking at the creature, that might be considered suspicious. Especially since Lon’qu knew his face had to have a rather unpleasant scowl plastered on it.

Four years, and Lon’qu was going to have to do the one thing he never wanted to do ever again. Going into battle with the Boar. He couldn’t help but wonder if the creature had learned to control itself in these past years, or if it still was a horrific monster that cared for nothing but shedding blood.

Subconsciously he took a side-step closer to Byleth, perhaps he should’ve warned her before they had headed off to battle. But if he had that would've brought forth questions that Lon’qu really didn’t want to answer. 

It didn’t take too long before they arrived at the canyon, that was very much not red. Don’t know where that name came from.

“Stop.” Byleth called as they came across a staircase. As everyone else stumbled over themselves to come to a stop, Lon’qu frowned as he looked at Byleth.

Her lips were tugged down with a frown, head tilted slightly as she almost looked as if she were listening to someone. While Byleth was distracted by… Whatever it was she was going, the Boar decided to take that moment to speak.

“So, this is the Red Canyon.” He observed, blue eyes sweeping over their surroundings. Though the staircase unfortunately kept them from seeing what was coming up. “I can’t say I’ve ever been here before. Those thieves we were warned about must have already been pushed back, it shouldn’t be too hard to take them down.”

“Right.” Byleth said, causing everyone to start as if they had forgotten she was there. “Let’s get this mission started.”

The Boar nodded, “I heard tell that there is a backroad in this area, we should use it to surround the enemy in a pincer attack.”

“Sound strategy,” Byleth nodded, before turning her attention away from the Boar. “Lon’qu, I want you to take Mercedes, Sylvain, and Ashe down that backroad Dimitri mentioned. Can I trust you to keep them alive?” 

Lon’qu frowned slightly, as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn’t exactly the best leader. He wasn’t the best when it came to groups, really. “Got it.” He nodded, glancing behind him to take in the people he had been trusted with. Honestly, that group probably wouldn’t be too hard to keep alive. Ashe’s bow kept him out of the fray, and even if someone got too close for a bow, he had an axe. Mercedes had both magic and a bow with her, as well as the ability to heal. So really, if someone died with her around that was just survival of the fittest as its strongest.

And Sylvain… 

Lon’qu snapped his gaze back towards Byleth, frowning as he ducked his head. Suddenly remembering that he really needed to keep his face hidden away. Even if he had broken that promise they had made, there was no way he was going to let Sylvain break it too. 

“Alright then, let’s go!” 

Reaching the top of the staircase, there were already a number of bandits waiting for them. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, Lon’qu couldn’t help the small smirk that pulled on his lips. It was refreshing to finally fight in a  _ real  _ battle after a month. (Sure, the Knights of Seiros had fought them earlier in the month, but there were no real stakes in something like that.) Thought it wasn’t until now that Lon’qu realized that many of his classmates hadn’t been in a real battle before.

“If I had hesitated… That would’ve been me.” Ashe had whispered, eyes wide as he watched a bandit with an arrow lodged in their throat fall. 

“I can’t relax here! We need to prepare for our next battle!” Ingrid had growled as she dislodged her spear from the stomach of a bandit.

“I know they are just thieves… but this never gets easier.” 

At that Lon’qu couldn’t stop the sneer, since when was killing hard for a creature like that? Lon’qu knew the truth, that those words were nothing more than a lie.

“It’s time to split up!” Byleth called, “Lon’qu, take your group around!”

“Right!” Lon’qu spared her a glance, before he started off. Ashe, Mercedes, and Sylvain following after him.

“I did it! See? I’m a great fighter!” Annette’s voice followed them, and Lon’qu couldn’t help the small smirk that formed at her words. At least there was someone who understood that remorse had no place on the battlefield. 

“Still whole and sound, I hope…”

Having separated from the others, Lon’qu slashed at one of the bandits, his attack not doing quite enough as a small burst of magic rushed past him and finished off the bandit’s life.

“I hope the Goddess blesses them to rest in peace....”

To Lon’qu’s right he watched as Sylvain shoved his spear into one of the bandits, a small smirk on his face as blood splattered onto his uniform, “I had to do it. Don’t hate me.” He told the dead man, before he used his foot to kick the body from his spear. 

“Hey! I think I see a chest!”

Lon’qu’s head whipped around to look towards where Ashe was pointing. 

“Probably some stolen goods,” He observed, looking over towards the silver-haired boy, “You can try and see if any of the bandits have a key-”

“There’s no need!” Ashe promised, before he headed off towards the chest. 

“Hmm,” Lon’qu turned his head away, and with a sudden rush of adrenaline and strength he took out the nearest bandit. “Finished already? I was hoping for more of a challenge.” He sighed as the man fell, though a small frown tugged on his lips. He really needed to find a way to keep his crest from activating like that. Despite himself he allowed his eyes to wander over towards Sylvain, if the wrong person noticed his crest…

Lon’qu gasped as his stomach suddenly turned, the world slightly shifting for a small moment. A hand reached for his stomach, looking down Lon’qu could’ve sworn there was a lance that had torn through him stomach. A memory of a pain that he thought he was feeling, and yet...

“MERCEDES GET TO LON’QU NOW!” Byleth’s scream broke through Lon’qu’s concentration, and he spun around to watch as Mercedes’s arrow hit the bandit that had just about stabbed him through with a lance. 

He winced, giving Mercedes a nod of thanks before he turned to take out some more bandits. Hidden identity or not, the battlefield was no place to be concerned over something like that. If Byleth hadn’t warned Mercedes about that bandit…

He most certainly would’ve been dead. 

With that near-death experience out of the way, Lon’qu refused to let himself be distracted by stupid worries. And once Ashe had gotten that chest open (Who knew someone like him could pick a lock?) The group made their way around just in time to witness Byleth take out the bandit’s leader. 

Making their way to Byleth, with the rest of the class celebrating their victory Lon’qu’s eyes landed on the bandit. His eyes widened upon recognizing the corpse as the same bandit from last month.

Turning his gaze back towards Byleth, he noticed that she had the same far off look she had when they arrived. Sometimes her lips would move, mouthing the words she must be thinking, but no sound came from them. 

“Professor?” 

She jumped, looking over towards the Boar. “All of the bandits have been taken care of, shall we head back to the Monastery?”

Byleth nodded, “Yes, of course. You and the rest of the class go ahead, and wait at the entrance.” She turned her gaze from the Boar, her blue eyes landing on Lon’qu. “I need to speak with my brother. Privately.” 

“Of course, Professor.”

Waiting in awkward silence, Lon’qu watched as the rest of the class left the canyon. Some of their voices hushed, while others were unbearably loud. (Sylvain.) It wasn’t until they were far enough away that they were unseen that Byleth spoke.

“What happened back there?”

Lon’qu turned his gaze towards her, “What do you mean?” 

“That bandit.” Byleth said, and upon seeing Lon’qu’s confused gaze her eyes narrowed. “The one that nearly killed you.”

“Oh, that bandit. I had forgotten about that.” Lon’qu glanced away, his eyes searching for the spot where that had happened. “I don’t understand what the issue is.” He said after a moment, before he returned her gaze. “You caught it, and had Mercedes take them out before anything could happen.”

“But what if I  _ hadn’t  _ seen them?” Byleth countered, “Lon’qu, you d- You could’ve died! I would like to think that I know you well enough to know that you aren’t the type of person to let something like that happen!”

“But nothing happened!” Lon’qu countered, “I got distracted for a second-”

“And that second got you killed!” Bringing a hand to her forehead, Byleth pinched the skin between her fingers. Something flashing in her eyes. 

“I don’t know if you noticed Byleth, but I’m not dead.” Lon’qu informed her, holding his hands out slightly as if she couldn’t see him. 

A moment passed before Byleth’s hands fell at her side, a soft sigh escaping past her lips. “Don’t let something like that happen again, Lon’qu. If I hadn’t noticed in time-”

“I know, I would’ve been dead.” Lon’qu sighed, “Can we be done with this conversation now?”

“Go join the others.” Byleth nodded, turning her head to glare down at the dirt. “I’ll be right there.”

Lon’qu nodded, and turned on his heel to walk away. Though as he walked he could’ve sworn he heard a faint whisper.

“You would’ve  _ stayed  _ dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly, my original plan for the Divine Pulse was going to be Lon’qu saving Sylvain. But I figured that Lon’qu, being Byleth’s unofficial sibling would probably be a better contender for it.  
If just because watching Lon’qu die would probably affect Byleth a lot more than if it had been Sylvain. Who she still doesn’t know too well.


	10. Cakes, Steaks, and Tea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a support, and you get a support! Everybody gets a support!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, what's up? Been awhile huh, almost a full year... Whoops. Sorry about that, I feel in love with the Black Eagles and couldn't think of anything else besides how much I loved them.  
And I'm sorry that this chapter is literally just some of Felix's supports. But I might as well get those out of the way, and besides. It's not like Lord Lonato's rebellion really means anything to Lon'qu. Don't worry, once a certain game chapter comes about we're going to be heavily focused on that.  
I can't wait!  
That being said, the supports in this chapter are Felix's supports with Leonie, Mercedes, and Annette. So if you don't want to read through them, that's basically just what the chapter is. Though there is a blink and you might miss it hint at a ship in this chapter. I haven't decided what ships I will put in this fic, mostly because they aren't the focus. But I think that one's going to be end game.

“And that’s class,” Byleth announced, closing her lecture notes as the bell signaling the end of class chimed throughout the Monastery grounds. “I want each of you to read the next chapter that you have in the textbook for your secondary skill, other than that you are free to do as you please… Within reason.” Byleth ended that statement with a pointed look towards Sylvain. “You’re dismissed, except for you Ashe. I need to speak with you privately.” 

With Byleth’s blessing everyone began to gather their belongings. With a pointed glare of annoyance towards his book on reason, Lon’qu grabbed his things. Taking care to balance them in his arms as he still hasn’t gotten around to purchasing a bag to use for something like school supplies. (He kept on making a note to do so, and then would get distracted in the training yard and only remember when all the stores were closed.) 

Making a quick stop at his room to put his supplies away. (And by that, he meant dumping them all on his bed. That was a future Lon’qu problem.) He grabbed his waterskin that he had filled the day before and headed towards his destination. 

Upon entering, Lon’qu discovered that he was the first person to arrive. Most likely because class had just let out, so most people were either studying or relaxing. Lon’qu couldn’t help but roll his eyes when he went in, before heading over towards the rack of weapons. Grabbing a training sword he tested how it felt in his hands before, satisfied with its weight, he headed over towards one of the training dummies. He practiced his form with the dummy for a while, before he felt the prickly sensation you only get when you have a feeling that there’s someone watching him. With a sigh, Lon’qu lowered his weapon. “What do you want?” He demanded, turning around.

“Finally spotted me, huh?” Leonie smirked, crossing her arms. However she didn’t wait for a reply before continuing, “Since you’re Captain Jeralt’s son I wanted to see your training with my own eyes,” she admitted.

“Hmph,” Lon’qu scoffed, turning from the girl back towards the dummy. “Is spying on people a hobby of yours? Seen enough?”

“Enough to know how to beat you.”

Lon’qu felt himself stiffen, though not in a bad way as he could feel the hint of a smile pulling at his lips, and he turned around once more at Leonie’s words. “You think you can beat me? Fine, why don’t we test this theory of yours?”

“I’m ready if you are.” Leonie smirked. “When’s a good time for you?”

“I would say now, but I have to study for my myrmidon exam.” Lon’qu admitted, “How about we plan a date for later, it will give us time to practice.” 

“Sounds good to me.” Leonie agreed.

With the duel decided, Lon’qu put away his practice sword and headed out. But before he fully left, he stopped with his hand on the door. Looking back he saw that Leonie had grabbed a lance and was beginning her own drills against a training dummy. The way she moved and trained showed him that her claims of having been taught by Jeralt were certainly not lies. “This should be fun.” He decided before he let the door shut behind him.

Luckily for Lon’qu the distance between the training hall and his room wasn’t too far, so it didn’t take him long to get back to search for the study guide he needed to prepare for his exam. Most of it consisted of stuff he already knew, but Lon’qu knew better than to let his pride get in the way of something like this. (If he failed this exam he didn’t think Byleth would let it go. Especially since she actually had to pay for him to take the exam.)

With his items gathered, Lon’qu took a moment to look at his mirror to make sure that his hood was properly covering his face. (Perhaps he should take to wearing a mask like Professor Jeritza, that was certainly a safer option than constantly keeping his head down, with a large furry hood. (Especially with the incoming heat.) 

Once Lon’qu was certain that his hood wasn’t going to betray him that day, he carefully gathered his items in his arms and left his room. Though he had to readjust the items he held into the crook of one of his arms so he could properly close his door. 

Scowling down at everything he held in his arms, Lon’qu prepared to have to make it all the way to the dining hall (which including two staircases) and back (making four staircases.) He really should invest in getting a bag to carry his school things in…

Lon’qu was able to get to the dining hall without running into anyone of notice, and finding a table that was far enough away from anyone else who had decided to spend their time in the dining hall Lon’qu set out his items to begin to study. Admittedly, he knew that studying in the dining hall was a bit strange, as most people would prefer to study in the library. But he figured he could study there until it was time for dinner, and since he was already there it would be simple to just grab a serving and finish it quickly enough to get in some training before he had to go to sleep.

It was the perfect plan! Well, it should’ve been. 

Lon’qu’s nostrils were hit with the refreshing smell of Almyran Pine Needles, and when he heard the sound of porcelain hitting the table he looked up to see Mercedes smiling down on him. 

“Here you are, Lon’qu. Have some tea.” She said, in a tone of voice that told Lon’qu that there would be no room for arguing.

“Ah, hmm…” Lon’qu’s brows furrowed, not quite figuring out how to process what was going on. Why had Mercedes come over and given him a cup of tea? It was strange, though even stranger was that the tea she was giving him was his favorite. He reached up and poked at the handle of the teacup. “Why this tea?”

“I asked Ferdinand for his opinion on what kind of tea you would like.” Mercedes answered. “He said that based on the way you act and hold yourself that you would prefer either Almyran Pine Neeles, or the Four-Spice Blend. So I settled for this one.”

Slightly distrubed by the idea of someone being able to guess his favorite tea from the way he acted, Lon’qu slowly picked up the cup and took a sip from it. 

“I am sorry that there were no more cakes.” Mercedes continued, seemingly happy that Lon’qu had accepted her gift of tea. “Would you like me to bake you some?”

Luckily Lon’qu had already since swallowed the sip he took of the tea, which prevented him from choking when the very idea of a cake caused him to slightly gag at the very thought. He really,  _ really  _ couldn’t stand the taste of sweet things. 

“No. Please, don’t.” Lon’qu told her once he had recovered.

“Oh… Oh! Your clothes are filthy, after you’re done you should give them to me so I can wash them.”

“Mercedies, what is wrong with you?” Lon’qu demanded of her, placing down the tea cup.

He felt slightly bad when he said the way Mercedes had almost flinched at his question. But only slightly.

“What do you mean? I’m only making tea, is there something wrong with that?” Mercedes questioned after she had recovered from Lon’qu’s question. 

“You’re not my mother,” Lon’qu told her, “Why are you bothering with all of this?” 

“Oh… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Mercedes admitted, “You just reminded me of my little brother.” 

Lon’qu blinked, “I do?”

“You do!” The smile that appeared on Mercedes’ face was unlike one he had ever seen on her before. “His name is Emile. While our fathers were different, we grew up in the same household. That was… Until I was nine years old, I haven’t seen him since then.” As she said that last big, her smile went away and was replaced with a small frown. 

“I’m not your brother.” Lon’qu told her, “Can’t you find someone else to bother?” 

“Oh, I”m sorry… I’ll just-”

“Mercedes there you are.” 

Both Lon’qu and Mercedes turned when she was addressed, to find Dedue coming up to them.

“Oh, Dedue,” Mercedes smiled, the sadness that had just been on her face melting away as if it hadn’t been there in the first place. “How may I help you?”

“I was wondering if you could assist me in the kitchen after dinner.” Dedue answered.

“The kitchen? I don’t mind at all, but why do you need help?” Merecedes asked.

At that question, Dedue looked slightly uncomfortable, glancing behind him as if what he was about to say to her was a secret that no one else should know about.

“I… Just finished speaking with Ashe,” Dedue answered after a long pause. “Apparently our next assignment is to accompany of the Knights of Serios to quell a rebellion… That was started by Lord Lonato.”

“Lord Lonato?”

“Isn’t that Ashe’s adoptive father?” Lon’qu asked.

Dedue nodded, “I’m not the best when it comes to baking,” he admitted. “But Ashe is understandably upset about this situation and I thought baking him some sweets might help him feel even the slightest bit better.”

“Oh,” Mercedes put a hand to her mouth as she began to nod. “Of course Dedue, I would love to help you!” 

At that moment the bell began to chime, signalling that it was time for dinner to start. Everyone that was already in the dining hall started to head over towards where the chefs were set up, and those outside began to wander in to get their food.

Mercedes and Dedue went to get their dinner together, the two talking about what treats they could bake for Ashe. Lon’qu watched as they walked off, his mind wandering back to what Dedue had said, and to Ashe. The kid was probably having a hard time right now, especially with how much he put Lord Lonato up on a pedestal. For a brief moment Lon’qu thought about how he would feel if he were in Ashe’s shoes and it was Jeralt that they were going to have to fight before he shoved that thought out of his mind. It was defiantly something he did not want to think about.

“I’m just not going to study today am I?” Lon’qu sighed, shoving his things aside before he joined the line for food.

It didn’t take him too long to eat, and he felt lucky that the rest of the Blue Lions chose to sit together with Mercedes and Dedue instead of with him. He was even able to get some studying in as he ate, but once he had finished he began to head to the training hall to get a bit of training in when he was stopped by Byleth who had just finished with her own meal.

“Lon’qu,” she said once she had caught him by the sleeve. “I need you to go to the Greenhouse and see if Annette’s there. She was on Greenhouse Duty and she didn’t come in for dinner.”

“Isn’t that your job?” Lon’qu questioned despite the fact that he already knew he was going to go get Annette despite what Byleth said.

Byleth instead frowned slightly, glancing towards the door. “Ashe didn’t show up either.” 

“Oh…” Lon’qu began to nod, “I see… Yeah, I’ll go find Annette.”

“Thank you, Lon’qu.” Byleth smiled, somehow looking far older than Lon’qu thought she should before she headed out to find Ashe. 

Lon’qu stood there for awhile, watching her go. A bit surprised by how she was looking. Lon’qu has never known Byleth to show too many emotions. (Though according to Jeralt, she showed a lot less before Lon’qu had come along.) But right then, she had looked… Worried, upset even. This teaching job, while strange and out of the blue. It was doing good things for her, even though Lon’qu was upset about having to spend so much time around the Boar he had to appreciate that at least.

And with that though, he went to the greenhouse.

“Annette!” He called as he stepped in, but he needn’t have called as upon entering he could hear Annette just fine.

“Today’s dinner is steak and then a cake that’s yummy yum… Now it’s time to fill my tummy tummy tum… Oh, this mountain of sweets, and treats that I long to eats… Oh, stuacks of steaks and cakes and crumbs and yums…”

Despite himself, Lon’qu felt a smile pull on his face as he neared Annette. She obviously hadn’t heard him call for her, too lost in her watering and dancing as she said her song. While the lyrics were a bit… Silly. Admittedly, Lon’qu found them quite charming, and he was slightly disappointed when Annette had turned around and spotted him.

“I hope I’m not interrupting.” 

“Lon’qu!” Annette gasped, “You… You weren’t listening, were you?” 

“Well… I do know that you’re hungry.” Lon’qu admitted. 

“No! I mean... “ She said, placing her hands on her face. “ _ Please _ tell me you didn’t see the dance!”

“You have nice footwork.” Lon’qu complimented, for she did. He even couldn’t help but take notes, footwork like that could do well in battle. Sure, he didn’t see himself dancing on the battlefield ever, but still, the form was nice. “Dinner’s almost over, I can take care of the watering.” 

“YOU’RE EVIL LON’QU!” Annette shouted, and it almost looked like there were tears in the corner of her eyes. 

“And you’re shouting.”

“You can’t just spy on people when they’re singing and not say anything! That…. That’s just not right!” 

“I actually did call for you when I first came in. It’s not my fault you didn’t hear.” Lon’qu informed her. 

“Well… You should’ve spoken louder than! Ugh, this is so embarrassing! And of course i had to be singing a silly song about food. I should have been singing about… bears1 Or swamp beasties!”

“I didn’t know there were songs about bears and swamp beasties. Though that food song must be close to your heart, your stomach isn’t too far away after all.”

“You’re the worst!” Annette told him, before she ran off.

Lon’qu watched her go, slightly confused by her reaction. Before he sighed, deciding it was one of those social things that he was never going to understand before he turned back to the plants and the watering can that Annette had abandoned. “Well, I better start watering these plants before they start singing too.” He decided. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My original plan was to have Felix and Ashe’s C Support in this chapter, before I remembered that Ashe was going through a lot and I didn’t think he needed to deal with Lon’qu being an ass at this time. Originally he was going to go the library to study, before I decided to send him to the dining hall instead.  
The idea of Ferdinand being able to tell what someone's favorite tea is by their personality was something I read either in a fanfic or as a headcanon and I fell in love with the idea. (I wish I remembered where I got in so I could link it. If anyone recognizes it, please tell me! If it was a fanfic, I'm pretty sure if was a Felix/Ferdinand fanfic.   
I also just remembered I wanted to make a side story to this where Lon’qu was brought into Fire Emblem Heroes, because I imagined this happening and it amused me greatly.  
Lon’qu: Boar  
Dimitri: Felix?!! :D  
Lon’qu: Fuck.


End file.
